AGE Concern, with every good intention, tells the elderly to "swallow their pride" and seek all the financial help available to them this winter (Evening News, Monday, October 25).

Age Concern does an excellent job in bringing schemes such as the Winter Fuel Payments, the Warm Front Project, and the Lydia Project, to the attention of the elderly.

However, elderly people in particular should never be asked to "swallow their pride" to claim what many of them see as charity.

They should receive a decent pension so that they can have a good standard of living without the necessity of government handouts.

The UK Independence Party has pledged a large proportion of the billions of pounds that we will save when we come out of the European Union for this purpose.

RICHARD CHAMINGS,

UK Independence Party,

Malvern.