IF pensioners in this country think the government is being benevolent to them by giving each household with pensioners a one-off payment of £100 towards this winter's fuel bills, then think again.

It is much cheaper for government to do this than give all pensioners a decent weekly living pension. On the other hand, what will this year's pension rise of 75p a week buy?

Yet any Tom, Dick or Harry can arrive on these shores and shout 'persecution' and be treated like gods, given every assistance available and money is no object.

Probably some of this has been paid in over the years by the very same British pensioners who are treated so badly.

Our pensioners are among the poorest, if not the poorest, in Europe.

In this country charity certainly does not begin at home.

H HAMER, Lowther Place, Blackburn.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.