Christmas Comes Late for over 1800 elderly people in Hereford and South Herefordshire

2.54.30pm GMT Wed 4th Mar 2009

Christmas bonus payments for over 1800 elderly people in Hereford and South Herefordshire to help with winter fuel bills will not be paid until nearly Easter, warns a leading local Liberal Democrat.

According to research carried out by Liberal Democrats in Parliament, nearly one in ten older people will be getting their Christmas bonus at a time when their grandchildren are getting their Easter eggs.

Local Liberal Democrat parliamentary campaigner Sarah Carr is leading calls in South Herefordshire to speed up payments and make sure older residents of the area get their bonus as soon as possible.

"This late payment is appalling," said Sarah "At a time of sky high heating and fuel bills, paying the bonus three months late is just not good enough.

"I am urging the Government to ensure that payments are made promptly next Christmas. Making the elderly wait until it's nearly Easter is just not acceptable."

Parliamentary questions by Liberal Democrat MPs revealed that 8.69 percent of bonus payments - nearly one in ten - will not be made until March.