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NewsLetter
February 1999

Welcome to the very first WarHeroes NewsLetter!

Mrs. M. Hudson, of Sheffield, writes the newsletter for her local Liberal Democrats newsletter and has graciously allowed us to republish it here in our new newsletter section. We hope our members will help to contribute to the content and make this a successful publication, both in the real world and here in the online world. And so, onto the first edition of the newsletter.


    A meeting on the 15th of January 1999 with Peter Moore, Richard Allan MP and Duncan Kime, of the Finance Department, was held with war disabled pensioners in the Town Hall. Although only eight attended, due perhaps to the surprise decision of Jan Wilson, new leader of the council, to give Full Disregard of War Disability Pensions from April this year, may have given rise to the smaller turnout than usual.

    Many questions were asked and replies were given, such as:

    1 - The full disregard includes Vietnam and Gulf widows, as well as World War II.

    2 - When filling in benefit forms, the War Disability Pension must still be entered, it should then be totally disregarded. If anyone has any difficulties regarding that, the problem should be reported to either Peter Moore or Richard Allan.

    Peter Moore suggested we should keep in contact with each other, giving feedback on any problems that may arise, i.e.; Are you any better off, the same or any other issues that come up.

    Three years on from our first meeting with Peter Moore, we've seen many disappointments with letter writing and petitioning, but suddenly it all came together. Sadly, we have lost members along the way, one of the last was Walter Nelson who, like Dennis Turton, faced court proceedings in their belief it would bring the War Pension battle to public notice.

    Lastly, our thanks as a group must go to Peter Moore, who answered the challenge in one of my "Open Letters" to council, when I asked, "Who, among you, will pick up the gauntlet and fight for the War Disabled of our city?"

    Our thanks also to Richard Allan MP and to you, our members, who kept up the pressure on the council, our MPs and the Government, and to all our online members of our very own web site, "WarHeroes" (www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Lobby/2219).

    Don't forget to send any news snippets for the second WarHeroes Newsletter.

    Thank you

    M. Hudson

©1999 WarHeroes All Rights Reserved.
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