WEYMOUTH Royal British Legion is renewing calls for a change in council policy on war pensions as veterans prepare to honour the fallen heroes of past conflicts on Remembrance Sunday.

Weymouth and Portland Borough Council is now the only one in Dorset that still counts war pensions when it works out benefit entitlements for veterans and war widows.

The policy means many veterans are hundreds of pounds a year worse off than they would be if they lived in other areas.

The Dorset Echo has joined up with the Royal British Legion to campaign for a better deal for our veterans, many of whom are suffering financial hardship.

The council says it would cost £50,000 a year to make the change - but that works out at just three and a half pence per week per council tax payer.

Councillors from all three political parties have indicated they are sympathetic to the veterans' plight, but the legion now wants to see them take action.

Chairman of Weymouth Royal British Legion, Douglas McMeeken, said: "Councillors have expressed sympathy with war pensioners - now we want to see some action.

"Weymouth and Portland should follow the example of other councils and scrap the policy of counting war pensions in benefits calculations.

"The war pensioners are men and women who have been injured while serving their country and many are now suffering hardship. As councillors gather on Remembrance Sunday, the legion would like them to consider the plight of those who were injured in war, but survived, as well as those who lost their lives."

Legion field manager for the southern region, Michael Anderson, said: "Councillors will be wearing poppies on Sunday in remembrance of those killed in war.

"They can also demonstrate their support for those who survived and who have suffered for the sake of their country - by backing our campaign.

"The government has recognised the suffering of Far East veterans recently by announcing that it will pay them compensation.

"The borough council can show that it understands the difficulties faced by veterans in Weymouth and Portland by offering to disregard their war pensions when working out what benefits they will get."