Was quite a victory. Here's the motion: Victory for Veterans! Speech on War Pensions
Glasgow City Council - Council Meeting - Thursday 26th June 2008 13:30Source (PDF document)Notice of Motion by Councillor Billy McAllister:
“Council acknowledges the vital role played by the armed forces and the hardships faced by veterans, especially injured and disabled veterans, upon their return.
Council notes that the large majority of local authorities across Britain now provide a full disregard of War Disablement Pension and War Widow’s Pension for Housing and Council Tax Benefit.
Council resolves to introduce a 100% disregard of War Disablement Pension and War Widow’s Pension for Housing and Council Tax Benefit claims made by Glasgow citizens.”
And here's the speech (more or less):"In the last few days five paratroopers have been killed in Afghanistan, bringing the total casualty list to 102 dead. Another 176 British troops have been killed in Iraq. Far more have been injured.British military involvement in both of those conflicts is unfortunately likely to continue for years, perhaps decades.
Both of those wars have been launched by the Labour Government in Westminster. The Iraq war at least was opposed by the majority of the population, with millions taking to the streets in the biggest demonstrations since the 1926 General Strike. It was an illegal war.
Also, the administration of this Council encourages army recruitment teams to visit Glasgow schools as part of a recruitment drive for those two wars. I wonder if they tell the school kids that if you fight for your country and are a hero, don’t expect help from Glasgow City Council when you come back injured.
The SNP believes injured soldiers are heroes and should be treated as such. War widows do not deserve to have their pensions stolen back off them by the Housing Benefit policies of this administration.
Legislation allows local authorities the power to disregard income from War Disablement and War Widows pensions, if they choose to.
Why doesn’t Glasgow?
In England and Wales, only two out of the 410 local authorities fail to provide a full disregard.
In Scotland, only two out of 32 local authorities fail to provide a full disregard.
Glasgow stands almost alone, in treating its returning veterans so badly.
In earlier wars, returning veterans were promised “homes fit for heroes”.
Now the promise is “homes fit for heroes – as long as you’re not a Glaswegian”.
Our boys are being treated differently from the rest of the country.
When you think of the proud history of this city, we always fought for and protected our citizens. John Wheatley and Nye Bevan would turn in their graves if they knew this policy had been put in place by a Labour administration.
The Leader of the Council on the last two meetings has told us he now believes in socialist values. Yet here we have the opposite values pushing disabled war veterans and war widows into poverty.
I have constituents who have contacted me in relation to this. They are in severe financial difficulty because they receive no housing benefit or council tax benefit. That is because their War Disablement pensions are being deducted by our Housing Benefit Office. If they were not living under this Council they would receive full housing benefit.
I believe this is a shameful situation and would ask all of you to join with me in supporting this motion in its entirety."
The Glasgow Herald reported this as follows:SourceCouncil tax bills of war veterans to be reduced
The contribution made by war veterans in Glasgow is to be marked by a reduction to their council tax bills, it was announced yesterday.Military pensions will no longer count as income when calculating tax and housing benefits, putting an extra £400,000 in the pockets of around 500 military families across the city.
The scheme was unveiled by Lord Provost Bob Winter as a centrepiece to Glasgow's Veterans Day celebrations, the first time it has been marked in the city.
Eighty-six year old John Stott served in the Army for nearly 50 years, after signing up as a teenager in February, 1939. Describing his time in the forces as the happiest days of his life, Mr Stott said: "I'm very proud to be here. People say I've a lot of medals, but I worked hard to get them."
Mr Stott, who was involved in the Normandy landings in 1944, added that he was pleased by the announcement that his council tax would be reduced.
He said: "I think this will have real benefits for elderly veterans. I have a pension for hearing - I'm deaf in one ear, from all the gunfire - and these new arrangements will benefit me financially. It's a step in the right direction, recognising the hard work veterans have done."
The Evening Times reported this as follows:SourceCouncil tax saver for city war veterans
HUNDREDS of war veterans and their families will be better off thanks to a move by Glasgow city council.Lord Provost Bob Winter has revealed the local authority plans to cut their council tax bills by changing its policy relating to housing and council tax benefit.
At present the council regards a high percentage of a veteran's war pension as income.
In future, it will no longer be regarded as income, meaning veterans will pay less council tax and get more housing benefit.
Mr Winter said: "I want to make sure the council and the people of Glasgow pay due respect to military personnel and their families.
"These men and women who risk their lives for our country deserve greater recognition for their work and, sadly in some cases, for their sacrifices.
"Changing our policy on council tax benefit is a relatively small gesture by the council that could have a big impact financially on hundreds of war pensioners and their families."
It is estimated the change in the rules will put around £400,000 a year back into the pockets of around 500 Glasgow families who have, or have had, relatives in the forces.
The council will pick up £100,000 of the bill, the Department for Work and Pensions funding the remainder.
The rule change comes as Mr Winter paid tribute to hundreds of former armed personnel at a special event in George Square today to mark national Veterans' Day.
It also signals the start of efforts by Mr Winter to increase the city's recognition of the dedication of those who have served in the armed forces.
Glasgow City Council's PR Department announced this as follows:SourceGlasgow City Council moves to ease financial burden on war pensioners
Lord Provost Bob Winter today (Friday, June 27, 2008) announced that Glasgow City Council is to make hundreds of war veterans and their families better off by reducing the cost of their Council Tax.The move comes as the Lord Provost paid tribute to hundreds of former armed personnel at a special Veterans’ Day event in George Square on Friday to mark national Veterans’ Day. It also signals the start of efforts by the Lord Provost to increase efforts by the city to recognise the service and dedication of members and former members of the armed forces.
The Lord Provost said the council plans to disregard all income from war pensions when calculating Council Tax and Housing Benefit. The move will put around £400,000 back into the pockets of around 500 Glasgow families.
He said: “I want to make sure that the council and the people of Glasgow pay due respect to military personnel and their families.
“These men and women who risk their lives for our country deserve greater recognition for their work, and, sadly, in some cases for their sacrifices.
“Changing our policy on Council Tax benefit is a relatively small gesture by the council that could have a big impact financially on hundreds of war pensioners and their families.”
At present the council regards a large percentage of war pensions as income when calculating Council Tax and Housing Benefits.
In future, it will no longer be regarded as income, meaning that people whose war pension includes more than the basic elements will qualify for lower Council Tax bills and higher Housing Benefit.
It is estimated that this will apply directly to around 500 people. In addition, there may be individuals who do not qualify under the current rules but could benefit when the policy is changed.
Part of the cost of applying this measure will fall on the Department for Work and Pensions, with the remaining cost being met by the council, estimated to be £100,000 a year.
If the council were to incur a cost of this order, the additional benefit for war pensioners would come to a total of £400,000.
Hundreds of former servicemen and women attended Glasgow’s first Veterans' Day event to pay their respects to comrades past and present. Dr Laurence Whitley, Minister of Glasgow, based at Glasgow Cathedral, spoke of the sacrifice the servicemen and women had made to protect our freedoms. He also led the prayers before the wreath laying ceremony.
The Lord Provost, a veteran of the Royal Army Pay Corps, also thanked the veterans and presented them with their veterans' badges.
BBC Scotland reported this as follows:SourceWar veterans in council tax boost
Elderly war veterans in Glasgow are to pay less council tax in recognition of their service to the country.The move will be worth about £400,000 to about 500 families who will qualify for lower bills and higher benefits.
The city council made the announcement on Friday as ex-servicemen and woman gathered in George Square to mark National Veterans' Day.
Around 500 people turned out for the day of music and entertainment, with many awarded special lapel badges.
The council plans to disregard all income from war pensions when calculating council tax and housing benefit.
Part of the costs will fall on the Department for Work and Pensions, with the remaining sum being met by the council. Lord Provost, Bob Winter, who served in the Royal Army Pay Corps during his National Service, said: "I want to make sure that the council and the people of Glasgow pay due respect to military personnel and their families.
"These men and women who risk their lives for our country deserve greater recognition for their work, and, sadly, in some cases for their sacrifices.
"Changing our policy on council tax benefit is a relatively small gesture by the council that could have a big impact financially on hundreds of war pensioners and their families."
National Veterans' Day was launched in 2006 to mark their contribution to society and raise awareness of the issues affecting them.
Other Veterans Day events are being held in Aberdeen, Inverness and Kelso.
The Scotsman reported this as follow:SourceTax cut for Glasgow veterans
HUNDREDS of elderly veterans are to have their council tax cut in recognition of their service, it was announced yesterday. Pensioners in Glasgow who are former services personnel will pay less for local services in the move by the city council.Bob Winter, the lord provost, made the announcement as ex-service personnel gathered in George Square to mark National Veterans' Day. About 500 people turned out for the day of music and entertainment.
The council plans to disregard all income from war pensions when calculating council tax and housing benefit.
Bosses said the move will put about £400,000 back into the pockets of around 500 families.
The Press Association reported this as follow:SourceCity's veterans to receive tax cuts
Hundreds of elderly veterans are to have their council tax cut in recognition of their service to the country, it has been announced.
Former Armed Service pensioners in Glasgow will pay less for local services in the move by the city council.
The Lord Provost made the announcement as ex-servicemen and woman gathered in George Square to mark National Veterans' Day. Around 500 people turned out for the day of music and entertainment, with many awarded special lapel badges.
The Daily Record letters page printed:SourceLetter: Your View - Our War Veterans Deserve A Break
Jun 30 2008 W. Davidson
Comment Of The Day
IT'S good to hear that Glasgow City Council is to reduce war veterans' council tax bills. But is this not a case of too little too late?
These brave men and women risked their lives for the freedoms that we now enjoy, yet previous governments have simply forgotten this fact.
While these brave souls - and war widows - have been made to struggle financially, surely ex-military personnel should be free of burdens such as council tax.
Reducing council tax is a good first step, but it should be scrapped completely for all war veterans.
It's the least we could do to repay them for putting their lives on the line.
W. Davidson, Milton, Glasgow
Indymedia Scotland and The Burgh Angel reported this as follows:SourceHousing Benefit Victory for Veterans
For years Glasgow City Council's Housing Benefit Office refused to pay housing benefit and council tax benefit to any claimants who received a War Disablement Pension or a War Widow's Pension.Almost every other council in Britain has exercised the discretionary powers they have on this, and pay out housing benefit and council tax benefit to their disabled veterans and war widows.
But not Glasgow.
Early this year a campaign was started by a few of the injured veterans in Glasgow, and they started lobbying councillors surgeries.
The succeeded in having a debate on the issue tabled for the full Council meeting On Thursday 26th June 2008.
That was cleverly timed - because the next day was UK veterans day. And 500 veterans were expected to assemble in George Square, with some of them due to receive medals from the Lord Provost. The danger of an embarrassing protest at that event helped concentrate the minds of the senior councillors.
To great delight, the council administration caved in on Thursday afternoon immediately before the debate started, and announced a policy U-turn whereby war pensions would be given a full 100% disregard.
That means an extra £400,000 per year of benefits will be paid out to Glasgow claimants.
Disabled veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan will no longer have their pensions deducted from them by the housing benefit office.
The remaining veterans and widows of the fight against Nazism in the Second World War will finally receive the pension benefit they should have been entitled to all along.
Now in all of Scotland, only North Lanarkshire Council housing benefit office is left deducting war pensions from claimants. Hopefully a similar campaign will be started up there too.
The Scotsman printed a letter on this:SourceWhy did city lag behind in helping disabled veterans?
Your report on last week's Veterans Day celebrations (28 July) made interesting reading as much for what was missing as for the substance.In the article, we read that Councillor Bob Winter unveiled the new policy of disregarding war disablement and war-widow pensions in Glasgow when calculating housing benefit. I wonder if this would have been the centrepiece of the day had the SNP not put forward a motion to last week's full council meeting. Our motion called on Glasgow City Council to follow the lead of almost every other council in Scotland and provide this facility to veterans. It is a disgrace that our city did not provide this service to our disabled veterans and war widows.
Working with the Royal British Legion Scotland, I found many local authorities have been providing this service for some time; the veterans of Glasgow, many living below the poverty line, deserve better and should have been helped sooner by this Labour council. For a little over £100,000 a year – or a fraction of 1 per cent of the total council budget – this measure could have been introduced much sooner.
(CLLR) BILLY McALLISTER
Glasgow City Chambers
George Square
Glasgow
Also relevant from the Glasgow Herald of 8th July 2008:Veterans represent 25% of the homeless on Britain's streets... Almost one in eight of the rough sleepers on Glasgow's streets is an ex-soldier - twice the number in London, according to Poppy Scotland, the ex-services charity.Source
And the original campaigning statement of the Royal British Legion was:SourceDisregard of War Pensions when claiming benefits
The Legion has long maintained that the system of disregarding War Disablement and War Widows’ Pensions in assessing Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit is unfair – subjecting veterans and widows to a “postcode lottery”. It believes the current local authority discretionary system, which only requires councils to disregard £10 of war veterans’ and widows' pensions when means testing for benefits, should be replaced by statutory central government funding of a total or 100% disregard.The present system means that war pensioners and widows with similar financial needs and living in neighbouring areas can have a difference in income of up of £125 per week, depending on how much of their war pension income their local authority chooses to disregard. It also means that ex-Service people are being denied benefits that they - like the rest of the community - have paid for through the tax system, simply because they have also earned compensation for disability or illness caused by Military Service.
After 8 years of campaigning by the Legion, the number of local authorities in England and Wales that still do not disregard 100% of war veterans’ and/or widows’ pensions has reduced from 163 out of 410 to around 2 out of 410. This means residents of these areas continue to be treated differently to neighbouring war pensioners - and for the majority there is still the threat of a change in policy at any time. The Legion intends to continue to campaign on this issue at local level. At national level we are seeking a legislative change to ensure that all local authorities disregard 100% of war pension income for the purposes of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit.