I don't wish to have a long drawn-out correspondence in the pages of the Gazette, but I must reply to the letter from Russell Burton in the letters page of October 3.

I welcome true refugees, asylum seekers and legal immigrants coming to this country. I referred to illegal immigrants (coming by boat over the Channel having paid thousands to gangs to enable them to do so) and the costs of dealing with them as set out in my letter of September 26, to the detriment of our homeless and services such as the NHS.

Has Mr Burton ever tried to get in to another country with no passport, no identification, no tickets which is what the illegal immigrants are doing to enter this country?

Mr Burton has not accepted once in his letter that pensioners are going to suffer and die in the cold.

The Winter Fuel Allowance, like any other non-means tested benefit, would be paid to some who do not need it.

I don't believe that 90 per cent of pensioners don't need it. It was said that the administrative cost of cancelling the payment to those who didn't need it far outstripped the cost of the actual payment. 

I understand that claiming Pension Credit requires forms with 240 questions - I think most ordinary pensioners would struggle with this, which is why it is not being claimed.

Mr Burton in his letter published on September 26, says he is "confident that Labour will find a way to help those caught just above the Pension Credit limit" - I doubt this.

I have heard that local authorities are being asked to fill the gap left by the withdrawal of the Winter Fuel Allowance from their funds. Is the Government going to replenish these funds?

Mr Burton assumes that I am a vile right-wing Tory - this assumption shows what a nasty person he is. I can assure him that I am not a  vile right-wing Tory, but can see the damage being done to this country by unlimited illegal immigrants.

I believe the Labour government, which is too strong, will slowly but surely bring this country to its knees - I'm also convinced that the Tories would have done the same. I did not vote for either, but rather hoped for a hung Parliament so that compromise would be the order of the day.

R Kerridge
Lychpit

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