On Saturday, local Labour Councillors, including myself, Jonathan Shaw MP and Teresa Murray Parliamentary Candidate for Rochester and Strood hosted a ‘Keep Warm Keep Well’ event in Chatham.  The aim was to give older people information on benefits, grants for home insulation and improvements, and advice on staying warm in winter.
I feel that these three issues are of great importance to improving the lives of older people in Medway.  The pension credit was introduced by the Labour Government to ensure pensioners have a guaranteed income of £124 per week for single people, and £189 for couples.  Although thousands of people over the age of 60 have already benefited from this guarantee, there is still a significant minority of older people who do not claim it, and events like this help to raise awareness.
Medway’s Tory Council may have a poor track record on housing, but the Government is committed to making everyone’s homes as warm and energy efficient as possible.  There are many schemes run by local and national organisations, such as the Energy Savings Trust, Warm Front and utility providers, who contribute towards or cover the cost of insulation, double-glazing, and other energy saving measures.  This ensures that not only do older people stay warmer and healthier, but, they are no longer in fuel poverty.  As ‘Keep Warm, Keep Well’ is supported by the Department of Health, there is also a significant focus on staying healthy and safe over the winter months.
At the event, information was provided by a range of organisations, including local older persons’ groups and Warm Front.
The Labour Group also launched their petition in support of a new older people’s centre in Chatham; something that I have previously written about.
I hope that as a result of ‘Keep Warm, Keep Well’ event, more pensioners will be able to benefit from the money and help to which they are entitled.  These types of events are important to the local community, and show   Labour representatives in Medway are actively working on behalf of local residents in a practical way.