Terry Pearce, chair of Defend our Community Services

Bracknell News:

As a member of the National Pensioners Convention I am opposed to Tory plans to scrap the winter fuel allowance for some pensioners. Firstly, the state pension is still below the official poverty level and thousands of pensioners die from the cold every year. Most pensioners have paid tax all their working lives and many still do in retirement and are rewarded with an inadequate pension therefore the winter fuel allowance is essential to get through the winter. The administration cost of means testing every pensioner for eligibility for winter fuel allowance would be a nightmare. The answer is to pay all pensioners a decent pension, above the poverty level, thus enabling them to get through the winter and not needing winter fuel allowances. Also the Tories are threatening to abolish the triple lock which will create even more pensioner poverty.

Robert Ellison of Chapmans Ironmongers in Sunninghill

Bracknell News:

There are many pensioners in the country who deserve all of the financial help they can get. There are also those who have been very successful in their lives and accumulated wealth.

Indeed, there are some pensioners who are lucky enough to enjoy final salary pensions, the cost of which are now draining pension schemes, who are considerably better off than many of the current work force.

At this time when this country's resources are at full stretch I don't think that it would unreasonable to means test the winter fuel allowance.

Ed Glasson, secretary of the Bracknell Branch of Unite.

Bracknell News:

Certainly not! The principle of universality, that we all contribute according to our means and can all get help when we need it, which underpinned the welfare state, seems to have been abandoned. Shamefully, out of 28 EU nations, Britain provides the second lowest state pension. In a "good" year - 30,000 of our older fellow citizens die simply because they can't afford to both eat and keep warm. But this, and last week's other affront to the grey vote, the announcement that the Tories will drop the triple lock on pensions, has been easily surpassed by Mrs. May's demented "dementia tax" which, despite the subsequent partial U-turn, has left most families deeply worried about the future. It's hard to think of any more effective way of alienating 10 million vital and conscientious voters.