The continued exclusion of overseas pensioners from up-rating adjustments to their State Pensions means that the real terms incomes of those affected falls year-on-year. Over time this leads to hardship, poverty, loss of independence and loneliness. Some individuals have been forced to return to the UK, away from loved ones, just to get by. This policy also creates a barrier to pensioner emigration from the UK, as the prospect of a frozen pension means that many feel they simply couldn't afford to do so. Given the countries involved are largely in the Commonwealth, those in British Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities are disproportionately impacted. There is no dispute about the entitlement to receive a State Pension overseas. All British pensioners who have made the required NI contributions during their working life are eligible. The issue at stake is whether that pension is universally uprated or not. At the moment, the government's policy is inconsistent and unfair, with half British pensioners abroad getting up-rated and the other half excluded. This creates crazy anomalies i.e. uprating in the USA, frozen pensions in Canada. It is time for reform to give all pensioners the full state pension they deserve, wherever they live, and to end this injustice once and for all. A positive, and easily affordable, step forward would be for the Government to include all pensioners in the 2.7% State Pension up-rating to be granted this year, by withdrawing the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Regulations 2016 currently before parliament. CASE STUDIES: Anne Puckridge Former college lecturer Anne Puckridge, now 91, lived and worked in the UK all her working life, paying mandatory NI contributions throughout this time. In 2002, aged 77 she finally retired and decided to move to Canada to be with her daughter and grandchildren who had moved to Calgary in the 1990s. Fourteen years on, Anne, who served as an intelligence officer in the Women’s Royal Navy in the Second World War, is struggling to live on the frozen £75.50 a week rate, she was entitled to when she moved abroad. Anne now feels that she will be forced to move back to Britain, because her pension will no longer cover day to day expenses and she is increasingly reliant on her daughter to get by. Anne says: “It’s the small things, and the injustice, that is really getting to me. I value my independence, but I can’t go on living on the breadline and I don’t want to inflict this on my family. As well as ever-increasingly poverty, I feel a sense of stress and shame, which is affecting my health.” Abhik Bonnerjee Abhik Bonnerjee, now 73, moved from India to Glasgow in 1960. He worked in the UK for 38 years, in shipbuilding, steel manufacture and the food industry. He owned an Indian restaurant for 6 years. Abhik returned to India in 1997 and reached the State Pension retirement age in 2008 when it was paid at £87.30 a week. Having made all the required NI contributions, if Abhik still in the UK today he would get £115.95, 28% more. The decline in his real terms income has left Abhik concerned about losing his home. He now feels he may have to move back to the UK. Abhik says: “The current situation makes me very, very angry. The government are scaremongering… [The Minister] says it will cost a lot of money but it is only a tiny percentage [of the pensions budget]. The government should be doing more, especially for Commonwealth countries and MPs can’t explain why they are not.” Rita Young Rita Young, 78, lives in Peterborough in the UK. She retired in 2002, aged 67, having enjoyed a long career in market research and as a community volunteer. Rita’s son moved to work in Australia some time ago and now has a family there. Since being widowed Rita has wanted to join her son and grandchildren in Australia, but has felt unable to do so due to the prospect of a frozen pension. As she gets older Rita finds daily life increasingly difficult, especially as she doesn’t have a family around who she can call on. She is deeply saddened that she is not able to be with her family during the later stages of her life, and feels that it is a complete injustice that had her son moved to a different country (e.g. France or the USA) she would be able join him with a full UK pension. Rita has spoken at the National Pensioners Convention about the issue and is very active in her community. Rita says: “I worked and contributed to my State Pension all my life. It doesn't seem fair that the government can just stop uprating it because I want to be with my family.” Geoff Amatt Geoff Amatt from Abergele in Wales reached 100 last year. Geoff contributed to the UK economy all his life and fought for his country during the Second World War. Geoff’s daughter Jean emigrated to Calgary, Canada more than 40 years ago, yet Geoff was unable to follow in the knowledge that his State Pension would be frozen at the rate of leaving the country. £29 per week at the time. As a result Geoff has been separated from his two grandchildren and two great grandchildren throughout his retirement. He has lived alone, largely dependent on the state for care, since his wife died seven years ago. Jean says: “Frozen pensions are unbelievably unfair. Canadians get their pension uprated in they live in the UK yet we don’t offer the same for those moving in the other direction. The government is keeping families apart and I worry about my father left all alone in Britain while we’re thousands of miles away.”

There are a number of entrances along this stretch of road and the it is used by horse riders, including children on ponies, cyclists and farm vehicles all limited as to speed. A number of locals have expressed their concern as to the speed of many cars along this stretch who may be unaware of the hazards often present in this area. The purpose of this petition is to show support for the proposal already posted on Hampshire County Council's Public Notices site to restrict the speed limit. UPDATE: The petition and the Pony Mad Hackers backing the campaign and the council proposals appeared in the Clanfield Post! http://www.clanfieldpost.co.uk/article.cfm?id=104746&headline=Catherington%20riders%20back%20bid%20to%20reduce%20speed%20limit%20on%20Lovedean%20Lane&sectionIs=news&searchyear=2016 We're very grateful to Paul Ferguson of the Petersfield Post for taking the time to come down and visit, then write an article about our campaign. (Image courtesy of the generosity of those who release their work to the public domain via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:United_Kingdom_40mph_speed_limit_sign.jpg)

Mencap opposes the Employment and Support Allowance cuts. It is not acceptable for an MP who promotes himself as patron of North Somerset branch of Mencap to vote in favour of cutting the incomes of the people that Mencap represents. https://www.mencap.org.uk/news/article/house-commons-vote-favour-esa-wrag-cuts-mencap-response Part 2 of the Capability for Work questionnaire specifically covers activities that the people who Mencap supports will be finding difficult. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/421191/esa-50-capability-for-work-questionnaire.pdf

Our MPs get extensive holidays compared to regular members of the public in low paid jobs. I propose they be required to work in a low cost high street food chain on the shop floor for five days, in full public view. Cabinet members who "refuse" to take part or need to be excluded for security reasons must wear a wonky boot, a glove on their dominant hand, and fuzzy goggles from dawn to dusk, secured by locks, and be on web camera at all times except toilet breaks. Use of public transport in full "kit" should be mandatory at least once per day, from random locations across the country. This will ensure they more fully understand the lives of the people they were elected to represent, or the nature of health and disability.

"Displaying intelligence" and "Enjoying reading and writing" are not grounds to dismiss a person with a disability who has clearly stated that they are unable to go about day-to-day living unaided. Denying this benefit to anybody who has been on DLA is in direct breach of basic human rights, and the rights of the disabled in particular. To cause futher stress to people with mental and physical limitations who may well be already battling with suicidal thoughts is tantamount to potential genocide of a vulnerable group of people. If not a war crime, it is most certainly premeditated murder.

These proposals will undermine local democracy and parental rights and choice and will turn local education into an uncontrolled 'free market' of dog-eat-dog competition for school places and will inevitably lead to the rise of more selective schools and the end of comprehensive education for all. As teachers in Academy schools are not required to have Qualified Teacher Status, these proposals will also lead to a further erosion of a qualified graduate teaching profession and a lowering of educational standards and diminution of life chances for our children. This nationalisation of our local schools and the centralisation of powers in the hands of the Secretary of State for Education also undermines generations of social investment in our local schools and, these grounds alone, these plans should also be abandoned.

Cuts are being made to; ESA, NHS, Education, Green Energy, Social Housing to reference just a few. It is completely disgusting that MP's are set to receive any pay rises during this time of austerity. We are told " We are in this together" so lets see our representatives lead from the front and forgo any increases on salaries. After all, they are paid from Public Funding and if we don't have the money to support the elderly, disabled and vulnerable in this country - we certainly do not have the money to increase payments to already wealthy MP's.

Our Government are supposed to be a democratically elected Government working for and on behalf of the people of our nation. In reality, we have a wannabe Mafia, hellbent on privatising our NHS, privatising our schools and destroying our welfare state. In 2012, Justin Tomlinson, the Tories’ Swindon North MP, voted to prevent disabled children from receiving at least a two-third higher rate of universal credit. His vote to block this increase is one that will seriously hurt some of the poorest children in this country, for example, those who are deaf, have cerebral palsy or even Down’s Syndrome. In addition, he's reaffirmed his cynical approach by supporting the cuts in ESA. The title ‘Disabilities Minister’ can be confusing. People can be forgiven for believing that this job is one in which the holder will be an advocate for the disabled. However, he's failed on that, and as such, should resign his position in Government immediately. If you or I were to so inept in our jobs, we'd be sacked. Let's give him the opportunity to do the right thing and resign.

Jo Churchill, MP voted through the cuts to the ESA (Employment Support Allowance) for new claimants in the WRAG (Work-Related Activity Group). It is hypocritical for Jo Churchill to be gaining positive publicity by participating in this organisation's fundraising event for people who may be left worse off by this bill. Headway's Chief Executive states: "Making cuts to benefits for disabled people who have been independently assessed as being unfit for work will cause unnecessary hardship, leading to isolation and anxiety, and potentially increase their long-term dependence on state support." https://www.headway.org.uk/news/national-news/government-forces-through-esa-benefit-cut/

Peter Lilley M.P voted in the house of commons to cut ESA payment for people in the work-related activity group (Wrag) from £103 to £73 a week. despite there being no parliamentary report on the impact on claimants, this is a contradiction of his role as a patron of this charity, and makes his position untenable.

Filibustering prevents Private Members' Bills from being considered and debated in the House of Commons and is therefore an affront to representative democracy

Many long serving MPs are simply "out of touch" with their electorate. Having received a well paid salary for years, they have no idea, how, many of their poorer constituents, have to cope on low wages or benefits !