Go out to work and leave our local radio stations as they are

AFTER reading a recent edition of the Burton Mail, I feel I must comment on two of your letters.

The first one from Viv Wigley, Mackworth, regarding the BBC replacing local broadcasts with a service covering a wider area, I totally agree with Viv on all her comments.

The Radio Derby broadcasters are like our friends, they give out local weather reports, traffic information etc, which a national service wouldn’t give.

Please leave our Radio Derby alone. I for one would shut the radio off, or at least change channels if this was the case! We need our Radio Derby all day!!!

My second comment is the letter from Edwin Littlewood. He writes that he and his wife work 70 hours a week, on minimum wage just to survive.

They cannot get any help whatsoever because they both work. Yet if you are on benefits you seem to get everything.

I realise that a lot of people cannot work, and need all the help they can get. But on the other hand there are a lot, especially younger men and women that can work, but choose not to, as they would then lose all their benefits.

Companies and restaurants etc are crying out for staff, so there are jobs available. Are these people being asked as to why they are not working?

My husband and I have worked all our lives, my husband especially is almost 80, never drawn benefits in his life. Worked and paid taxes for 60 plus years.

I am 78, worked from 16 years of age, just took three years out to have my children, paid taxes as well.

We were encouraged to apply for pension credit, but because of our small private pensions, they say we have enough to live on.

It certainly doesn’t encourage people to work and pay into a pension.

So maybe the system should be looked at, and possibly make it harder to obtain benefits.

I know some people will disagree with me, but I am sure Mr and Mrs Littlewood would agree!

Cynthia Waterson,

by email