Pensioners flock to sign tax petition

Within minutes of taking up position on Boots' Corner, Julie was accepting signatures from all directions.

Julie wants Rother District Council and the East Sussex County Council to do as Kent County Council has done and limit their coming Council Tax increase to the rate of inflation so far as pensioners are concerned.

"Do you want to sign?" Julie asked a gentleman who approached her. "I damn well do!" he said with vehemence.

Julie had begun the morning with 400 signatures already collected and was finding that like-minded people were more than happy to collect signatures for her.

Among those who signed was George Sharp.

He told the Observer: "There is a limit to what you can pay out isn't there?

"I don't think people realise that the Government is not giving local councils enough money to carry on. Yet it is making them spend more and more.

"You have to get people together to fight things like this. If you don't do anything they walk all over you.

"We should be more like France. If their Government does anything unpopular they block the roads!

"We should do what we did when the Government wanted to put up the tax on fuel a few years ago - protest."

Rother leader Cllr Graham Gubby has told the district council's cabinet that he would not like to face the taxpayers in general if Rother made them subsidise the pensioners.

Julie Camden-Field said: "Kent have said it will only put the Council Tax up by 10 for other households if they limit the tax rise for pensioners to the rate of inflation."

Julie believes she is typical of many pensioners.

"If you get a 1.5 per cent pension increase how CAN you pay a 15 per cent Council Tax increase?

"I paid into a private pension scheme for years but it has been completely eroded - AND my SERPS.

"I thought I had made provision for retirement but I am having to continue working because I can't afford to retire."

A lady approaches Julie.

"Do you want to sign?"

"Of course. You can't stand back and do nothing!" was the immediate reply.

During the period the Observer was watching at Boots Corner the only signatories were older people.