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Pensioners vowed yesterday to keep fighting the Government'​s controversial Granny Tax –​ despite a Commons defeat.

The National Pensioners Convention held a Westminster rally against the measure, while Labour Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls enlisted the support of actor Richard Wilson to fight the measure.

Chancellor George Osborne'​s Budget decision to freeze age-related tax allowances will hit hundreds of thousands of West senior citizens.

Official figures reveal the move will make 4.41 million worse off, with an average loss of £​83, while 360,000 people aged 65 lose an average £​285.
Neil Duncan-Jordan of the NPC, Britain'​s biggest pensioner group, told the Western Daily Press that despite the Commons defeat, the fight would go on.
He said: "​Ed Balls came and pledged they would not only vote against it today, but between now and the next General Election keep up the campaign. He said more than 62,000 people had signed a petition against the move in just a couple of weeks.

"​Our message is that it is unfair to freeze the tax allowance of existing pensioners and cut it for future pensioners when they are giving a tax reduction to those earning over £​150,000. You can'​t give a millionaire a £​40,000 tax cut when pensioners today and tomorrow will be worse off.

"​Some people are saying this is only hitting the middle class, but this affects pensioners with an income as small as £​11,000 a year, so these are not well-off pensioners being hit by this. Since the Budget, the NPC has been inundated by letters and calls from people saying they have always voted Tory, but will never do again, because of what they see as being let down by a Conservative Chancellor.

"​And it is worth remembering that more than any age group, pensioners in the main are a group who get out and vote."​

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