Mike Hancock News
MP asks Gordon Brown to step in row over war veteran's winter fuel payments
The Liberal Democrat MP for Portsmouth South, Mike Hancock has asked the Prime Minister to personally step in over a row about a Second World War veteran's winter fuel payments. Mr McGowan, 94, has threatened to return his Second World War medals in disgust at a bureaucratic rule that meant that he missed out on the payment by one day.
Mike had earlier taken up the issue for his constituent with the pensions' minister. Now, the MP has written to the Prime Minister to ask him to personally intervene in this.
Mr Hancock said: "While I understand that there have to be some rules over Government payments, this seems to be petty bureaucracy gone mad. And it was to stop dictatorship and assert the importance and supremacy of democracy that Mr McGowan fought for. I doubt that there would be a single person in the country that would want him denied his winter fuel payment. His is also a very unusual situation. I hope in light of all this - that the Prime Minister will intervene and see that Mr McGowan is paid his winter fuel allowance as a goodwill gesture and in recognition of Mr McGowan's service to our country."
Mike Hancock's letter to the Prime Minister:
Rt Hon Gordon Brown
Prime Minister
10, Downing Street
LONDON SW1P 2AA
OUR REF: MA/MCGOWAN
10 November 2009
Dear Prime Minister
I am writing on behalf of one of my constituents - Mr Robert McGowan and his winter fuel payments for 2007/2008 to ask you to personally intervene in this matter. The situation is that Mr McGowan was at residential care accommodation at Caroline Lodge. Like other residential care accommodation, this did not qualify for the fuel allowance. He moved from there in September 2007 to his current home which DOES qualify for the winter fuel allowance. However for the winter of 2007/2008, he moved from his previous home ONE day too late to receive the winter fuel payment for that winter. The qualifying week for payment ended on 23rd September and he moved out at the beginning of the following week. However he had to heat his home for all of the 2007/2008 winter.
I am now, as I say writing, to you to personally intervene in this matter. I understand that Mr McGowan is a veteran of the Second World War and has five medals from that war - the Burma Star, the Africa Star, the War Medal 1939-1945, the 1939-1945 Star and the Defence Medal. I understand from the Portsmouth News newspaper, Mr McGowan is now thinking of returning his medals in disgust at the way he has been treated as a veteran because of this petty bureaucratic rule. I hope that he is not forced to do this. I appreciate that there have to be some rules on Government payments. However, Mr McGowan has served his country exceedingly well and we owe the defence of our democracy to people such as him. I doubt whether there is a single person in the country that would deny him his winter fuel payment. And it was for importance and supremacy of democracy and against dictatorship that Mr McGowan fought. And we all owe him and his comrades a very great debt of gratitude and thanks. It also strikes me that there will be very few people in Mr McGowan's position - it must the case that most people move from a property that does qualify for the winter fuel allowance to one that does not - not the other way around like Mr McGowan. Obviously with the Afghanistan war and Remembrance Day, our thoughts are with those that served and are serving in the armed forces especially at the moment but I hope that we will never forget the contribution that the armed forces make. It would be very welcome if the Government could pay Mr McGowan the winter fuel payment for 2007/2008 as a goodwill gesture in recognition of his service to this country. We need to honour not just today's heroes but yesterday's as well.
I look forward to hearing from you as quickly as possible.
Yours sincerely
MIKE HANCOCK CBE MP
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