ONE of the reasons given for the problems in hospitals this winter was that there were greater numbers of old people.

The majority of the elderly use medical services as a last resort and not for minor ailments. Many of the illnesses needing hospital treatment are suffered by men who worked in heavy industries doing hard physical work.

Now we see the headline (Echo, Feb 26) "Robbing the poor to give to the old" in an article by Rob Merrick who accuses the Chancellor of "bribing the older savers" by paying higher interest on pension bonds.

He also lists the free TV license, which is only available after the age of 75, so it is not exactly a long term payment. Free bus passes and winter fuel allowances were available before this government came to power.

Mr Merrick must think that pensioners are gullible if they would change how they vote for this.

I have paid National Insurance and taxes for more than 60 years and I still pay tax because I paid into a personal pension. It is not the old who rob the poor but those receiving benefits who have no intention of finding work. They rob the people who really need help.

Very few people today do not have mobile phones, computers and large-screen televisions. In addition, there are very few old cars on the roads. Supermarket trollies are piled high with food and take-away businesses are everywhere. Clothes are bought all year round, not just autumn and winter as in the past.

The older generation know what it is like to be poor but this is not the poverty I remember, both during and after the war. I found the headline insulting.

Perhaps we (the ones who have paid our contributions) should apologise for living too long?

If Mr Merrick lives to an old age I hope that he will feel obliged to refuse any financial help given by the government.

M Welch, Durham City.