Crowd fired up for pension fight
PENSIONERS SIGN PETITION OVER INCOME CUTS
A crowd of more than 150 people attended a meeting on pension entitlements in Ballinaboola recently.
Organised by Cllr Michael Sheehan the meeting was addressed by wellknown figures, including Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Sean Fleming, Head of Policy at Age Action Ireland Justin Moran and Regional ICA President Dee Devereux.
Cllr Sheehan explained to a packed audience in the Horse & Hound hotel, why it was important to continue the campaign on the theme `Restoring the Savage Pension Cuts of 2012’.
Cllr Sheehan said more than 50,000 pensioners across the country have been affected by the draconian cuts brought in 2012.
`In 2012, the government changed the criteria for a full State Contributory Pension that literally made it twice as hard to get a full pension,’ Cllr Sheehan said.
`This is a huge issue and I’m asking all people who are affected to attend and to make their voices heard. It is important that they are there to show their determination to resolve this issue.
‘In fairness, the people deserve more respect than the government is showing them,’ added Cllr Sheehan.
He said Minister for Employment Affairs & Social Protection Regina Doherty tried to fix the issue, but stressed the need to get money paid back retrospectively.
Cllr Sheehan said the changes, which are due to come into effect in 2019, will only help some of the people and none of the men affected as they only concern people who stayed at home for over a decade.
‘ The new Total Contribution Available approach will help a lot of people who are about to retire.’
He said the legislaton only comes into effect in March 2018 and payments will be made from March 2019.
Mr Fleming said under the new system part-time employees and self employed people could lose up to €140 in their pension income per week.
After teas and coffess people signed a petition to Ms Doherty to ensure fairness in how pension monies are paid.