Pensioners protest over rise (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Pensioners protest over rise

An army of old age pensioners demanded an end to spiralling council tax on Friday.

Over 150 protesters met council tax chiefs at a rally in the Assembly Hall, Warminster, with some claiming they would rather go to jail than cough up more cash.

In a show of strength the protesters insisted on a halt to rising tax fearing their meagre pensions will not cope.

The group was told by councillors the extra funds must be found from somewhere leaving hundreds of penniless pensioners with no option but to take their fight to the Government or go to jail.

Organiser Ron Young said: "Pensioners have got strong voices, there have been many protests across the west, when are they going to listen to us?

"Council tax has risen by something like 100 per cent over the past 10 years but pensions have failed to match it, we fear we cannot survive.

"I'd rather go to jail than pay this. It can't be too bad in there, we would probably get better services than we do from our councils."

With over 150 pensioners voicing their opposition the elderly protesters have been given a boost ahead of a trip to meet MPs at the House of Commons next month.

West Wiltshire MP Andrew Murrison backed the protest and has offered them his support for the trip to London.

He said: "Pensioners have had a torrid time of late with rising costs across the board. Council tax is turning into another form of government stealth tax." Wiltshire County Council is preparing a 5.98 per cent tax hike and the District Council plan a 4.5 per cent rise, yet the elderly are set to benefit from just a 2.75 per cent pension increase above inflation.

Leaders of Wiltshire County Council and West Wiltshire District Council and representatives from Warminster Town Council were on hand to hear the pensioners' gripes.

But the civic leaders blamed the rise on a need to spend more on services.

Jane Scott said: "The money we spend on services has to come from somewhere, we still need to educate our children, help the disabled and elderly people so if it doesn't come from council tax it will have to come from another form of tax."