ABC Press Release

The Association of Pension & Benefits Claimants CIC, has launched a campaign to encourage UK citizens to register to vote online. 

Members of the public have until Monday 20 April 2015 to register to vote in the general election on Thursday 7 May 2015. You need to be on the electoral register to vote in elections and it takes less than five minutes to complete the form online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

The Association of Pensions & Benefits Claimants CIC, and the sub-Association of Hourly-paid Workers, is a pan-European workers' association - launched late last year - whose goal is to help those in receipt of state benefits.

“We do not promote life on the dole,” says ABC founder Simon Collyer. “We are an organisation committed to helping people improve their lives and their circumstances while living on a low income.”

In both the USA and the UK, voter apathy has been a significant issue, he says. “A shrinking middle class, an increasing gap between the ‘have nots and the have lots’, a political environment where politicians appear to ‘manage the public’ rather than represent them and where policies often have only narrow differences. All these factors have led to a feeling that voting is not really going to change anything, especially among those who feel they have little to vote for.”

Collyer adds: “We disagree with that view completely. If all those people, both in work and out of work, or in retirement, turn out and voted, it could change the future of our country. This is probably the most important general election in decades for those on low incomes.” The ABC is committed to creating a more realistic and balanced view of those state pensions and benefits. “We are encouraging a feeling of ‘can do’ not ‘done to’ in our members,” says Collyer. “Getting people out voting is a great start.”

The Association of Pension & Benefits CIC has partnered with the Electoral Commission to encourage UK citizens to register to vote. Other partners include household name charities and social enterprises.

The deadline to register to vote in the general election is 20 April 2015. You can register to vote aged 16 or over, however the voting age is 18. You need to be British or a qualifying Commonwealth citizen.

To register to vote on-line click here: https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote or visit the ABC website: www.abcorg.net