Voluntary core

Philip Dolan (Letters, 29 April) makes the important point that many “wealthy” pensioners (and many people who are neither wealthy nor pensioners) are the backbone of the voluntary sector.

The Work and Pensions 
Secretary Iain Duncan Smith 
certainly needs to be emphatically
reminded of this.

But some pensioners may feel their individual situations limit their capacity to be involved in practical ways.

However, it is still open to them to make (or increase) 
financial contributions to voluntary organisations. The voluntary 
sector covers a huge range of services.

At this time, when voluntary organisations are suffering cutbacks in the face of continuing, even rising, demand it seems more helpful for individuals to redirect what the Work and 
Pensions Secretary deems superfluous benefits to voluntary 
organisations of their choice, rather than as he suggests to return the money to what has been called “the maw of government” .

Madeline Patterson

Scotland Street

Edinburgh