Letters, Tuesday, March 9,2010
RECENT press coverage of proposed Government initiatives on care for the elderly, suggest that there is still an agenda for providing residential care. This would appear to be against the idea of helping the elderly remain in their own homes with sufficient support.
In October 2008 the local authority held an event at the Stadium of Light titled "Health, Housing and Adult Services, Vision for 2025" outlining the future social care in which it would move away from the residential model to supported living.
It is questionable that there is sufficient funds available, given the current financial restraints. With the prospect that all local authorities will be facing further cutbacks I fail to see how support and care can be provided in a way that ensures independence, dignity and safety for our increasingly ageing population.
With the upcoming election how can the local authority be able to carry out its vision for 2025?
Name and address supplied
Stupid and foolish
THE Work and Pensions Select Committee recently said that The Department for Work and Pensions had overpaid benefits of 800million per year to claimants.
But no one on the committee drew attention to one of the potentially worst aspects of benefit payments. Recently, the DWP began making payments by Fast Electronic Payment (FEP). This was a way to cut staff.
There were all sorts of problems with the new system. To solve one problem it was decided that welfare customers would have their benefit paid into someone else's bank account.
DWP staff were horrified when they heard this. Staff on the JobSeeker's Allowance (JSA) section saw the obvious pitfall and raised the matter with their union, the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS). We asked managers to raise our concerns with the appropriate ministers.
The ministers concerned gave their approval to this system.
Under the new FEP system, with full backing from ministers, a customer can have his JSA payment paid into a friend or relation's bank account. What happens if that friend or relation refuses to give the claimant his benefit and keeps it himself?
Imagine if your employer paid your salary into your next door neighbour's account. You went next door for your money and they refused to give it too you. What would you do?
Everybody knows that the idea of paying benefit into someone else's account is stupid and foolish in the extreme. Yet a minister sanctioned this policy.
Lee Rock,
Public and Commercial Services Union,
John Dobson Street,
Newcastle
Marvellous efforts
AFTER reading in the Echo about the marvellous efforts of The Adelaide movement to bring the famous ship back home to the Wear, I think the people of Wearside should buy the Adelaide CD and Adelaide rock to help this terrific cause.
Councillor Peter Maddison deserves the highest praise for his efforts to make this great dream become a reality.
It's the first time I have ever praised a Sunderland councillor but in this case it is completely justified. As for the other members of Sunderland City Council, I wonder why they are not publicly backing the wonderful ambitious plan to bring back Wearside's exiled treasure.
This is a chance that cannot be wasted. While the Vaux site can still be developed, hopefully in the near future one day, The Adelaide needs to be saved by March 31, and if this is not achieved, then yet another opportunity will have been wasted and the guilty people will know what they have done.
John Turner,
The Paddock,
Coxhoe
Blinded by loyalty
WITH reference to Councillor David Errington (Letters, Feb, 19),
just thought I'd better put him right on his issue regarding Lee, Tony and trade unions before he makes any more foolish comments.
I have been a trade unionist since I was 16 years old, first EEPTU then GMB. and now Unite.
Now it's funny how Lee and Tony are personally helping me in my campaign to become the first Conservative councillor in the Shiney Row ward. Having been an active member of the Labour party as well puts me in a position to say that Lee, Tony and the Conservative party are more in touch with the working class and the people of Sunderland now then your party have been over the last 20 years.
Labour has scaremongered and bullied the people of Sunderland since the 90s making them believe that the Conservatives were a bunch of money-grabbing snobs and to vote for them is a fate worse than death.
Since Labour has been in power I have been in five redundancy situations, made redundant three times, been in two strikes and balloted for industrial action nine times. Which tells me one thing, the unions and the Labour party are on different wavelengths and the Labour party is no longer the working class party.
I believe the trade unions are blinded by loyalty to a party which has turned its back on them and their members years ago. Remember Clause Four?
The sooner the people of Sunderland see through your lies and smears the better!
Malcom Vardy,
Hill Terrace,
New Herrington,
Sunderland
HOUGHTON Rugby Club held a fund-raising event in aid of Veterans International Aid. We had an evening with karaoke, disco, quiz, raffle and auction. With the help of the locals we managed to raise over 600.
Samantha Cairns,
Entertainment Secretary
MY daughter lost her purse with her newly-acquired driving licence, bank card and student cards a week ago. This morning a man came to the door with them. He had found them in Albany, just around the corner to where we live.
We were so pleased and find it really heart-warming that there are some wonderful, honest people in this world. I would just like to thank this man and his work colleague.
Clare Robson,
Bede Crescent,
Washington Village
I REFER to my letter which was printed in the Echo Letters on February 19. The figure referred to in the letter gives the impression that a loan from the City of Sunderland of 5,000,000 is all that is required to move the vessel. It is my understanding that the actual figure is 500,000 and certainly that was the figure I put in the letter.
Geoff Pearson,
Sunderland
THE family of the late Jack Patterson sincerely thank all of his friends and family for the donations received for Jack's favourite causes. A total of 1,300 was donated which was divided to the church, cancer care, the hospice and Penshaw community.Your generosity is much appreciated.
Jane Patterson
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