John Mason demands answers on pensions

15 Dec 2008

Commenting on reports that hundreds of thousands of pensioners who worked in the public sector have been potentially overpaid in their pension, John Mason, the SNP Work & Pensions spokesman said:

“This looks like an extremely serious issue. As the pensioners affected look forward to Christmas, the timing could not possibly be worse in terms of what the Chancellor may be about to announce.

“Alistair Darling has said that these apparent over-payments will need to be ‘put right from next year’, and that he will ‘adjust what’s paid for the future’.

“These comments are very worrying. Pensioners must not lose out. We need to know exactly what has happened, and exactly what the UK government plan to do.”

East End MP responds to Government’s Welfare Reform proposals

11 Dec 2008

East End Scottish National Party MP, John Mason, has warned that the welfare reforms outlined by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions risk demonising and punishing the unemployed.

Commenting after the launch of the Welfare Reform White Paper, Mr Mason said:

“Reforms must be about helping and encouraging people back into work, not demonising and punishing the unemployed.

“The fact is that a huge amount has changed since the Welfare Reform proposals were first mooted in July, and now any reforms must reflect the changed economic climate.

“With dole queues getting longer every day, the focus should be on stimulating the economy and creating new jobs and opportunities.

“While we will look cautiously and constructively at the wider proposals, half-baked and draconian reforms are not the answer.”

Commenting on reports that Glasgow is to be one of five pilot areas for the new approach outlined in the White Paper Mr Mason, who represents Glasgow East, added:

“I want to see the detail of this pilot project, and still need to be convinced that the UK Government’s proposals will be a helping hand rather than a heavy hand.

“What would not acceptable is to pile pressure and sanctions on very vulnerable people who are genuinely incapacitated. That will cause fear for many who are living on low incomes.”

Mason welcomes Parkhead and Shettleston votes on local housing

09 Dec 2008

John Mason, SNP MP for Glasgow East, has welcomed the overwhelming vote by tenants in the Parkhead and Shettleston areas of the city’s Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) who have voted to move forward towards community ownership.

Shettleston and Parkhead are two of the five areas of the city whose GHA tenants have now agreed to progress to second stage transfer. This decision means that over 800 properties in Shettleston and around 250 in Parkhead will move into local control.

Commenting, John Mason said:

“Congratulations are due to Parkhead and Shettleston housing associations, and to the tenants who voted in their droves.

“This decision affects about 1,000 homes in my constituency, and is very welcome. However, we must remember that the GHA were set up specifically to bring about second stage transfer, and progress up until now has been slow. Across the city, there are another 21,000 homes due to be transferred from the GHA to local control, and a significant proportion of these are in the East End.

“I would strongly urge the GHA to progress these as soon as possible.”

The results of the vote in the five areas were:

Yes No
Ardenglen 89.2% 10.8%
Cassiltoun 93.7% 6.3%
Glasgow West 83.8% 16.2%
Parkhead 95.2% 4.8%
Shettleston 86.6% 13.4%
TOTAL 89.0% 11.0%

Mason’s message to UK Government: “Tackling poverty must become priority”

09 Dec 2008

A report published this week by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has found that the drive to end poverty in the UK has stalled, even before the recession starts to bite.

Based on the latest UK Government data on unemployment, education, health, the report finds that despite some initial success for many of Scotland’s most vulnerable people the situation is worsening or remains unchanged.

Data relating specifically to Scotland finds poverty in pockets of deprivation, where working-age adults claiming out-of-work benefits are concentrated, have hardly changed over the past ten years.

Commenting on the report, SNP Work and Pensions spokesperson John Mason said:

“This research makes for depressing reading. As the recession takes its toll, it is more important than ever that the UK Government takes real action to help those caught in the poverty trap.

“It is clear that there has been a particular problem with the tax and benefits system which must be reformed to ensure that nobody is overlooked or stuck in a cycle of poverty.

“With the Welfare Reform Bill coming forward this week, it is critical that Ministers take account of the changing economic climate and the additional pressures it places on those struggling to make ends meet.”