DOES Nick Holt (Letters February 8) think that the present retired generation slipped from school-days to retirement without any financial input into the country, not to mention that there are still a few of the people who placed their lives in mortal danger fighting a war for their country still alive and requiring feeding, housing etc?

The pensioners of today, paid their dues yesterday. They paid tax, they paid National Insurance, through a succession of various governments and their ever-changing policies.

Also, the male pensioners when they reached the ages of 18 to 21 had to give two years of their lives to the armed forces of this country for what can only be described as a pittance.

Would Mr Holt like to work two years for almost no pay, and, as in most cases, miles away from home, family and friends?

I think not, especially if he came later to be considered not only a second class-citizen but, if we are to accept his view, also a drain on society.

Many current pensioners during their working lives subscribed to a personal occupational pension, in addition to their mandatory payments for their state pensions.

The payments from these, including state pensions, are now taxable income and, should these be topped up by money saved - and at a time when, unlike 50 years or so ago, "when things were nothing like as expensive as they are today" - this, too, is taxed.

So you see, Mr Holt, if you took off your blinkers, you would see that there is more than one horse in this race, all with weights of one sort or another on their backs.

M SPRAGG (Mrs), Vicarage Drive, Darwen.

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