Brown under attack over pensioners deal

PM Gordon brown has come under severe criticism after making an incorrect statement. While unveiling his £910 million energy programme on September 11, Mr Brown said that all pensioners will be provided free insulation. But when a sixty years old pensioner called up to confirm, she was told by government’s helpline that only those over 70 years of age or already living on benefit are eligible for free insulation. The rest will only get a discount.

Government’s clarification on Mr Brown’s statement is being projected as an ‘unclear plan’ by the opposition parties. They claim that government is confused about the energy package.

However, Hilary Benn, the environment secretary insists that there is no ambiguity about the energy package. Pensioners over 70, people in low income group and others living on benefits would get the cavity wall and loft insulation of their home done for free. Other eligible households would pay only 50 percent of cost of getting the job done. Government is also urging the energy companies to build up capacity so that maximum household can be covered before the onset of winter.

But the distracters won’t let go of PM’s slip-up so easily. There is lot of mileage to be made out of the goof-up. They have charged that people are wondering whether the PM made a mistake or was he deliberately misleading people. Even after months of preparation, the government has come out with a scrambled package which is lacking clarity on its most basic points.