When Win Edmunds opened her letter from Times Media Limited and read that the company would phase out contributions to her medical aid, she saw tough times ahead.
By January next year, she would have had to pay her full medical aid contributions and she would have been R685 a month poorer. A lot of money for a pensioner.
Win's late husband was the deputy editor of the Eastern Province Herald and, when he died in 1989, TML continued to pay half of her medical aid contributions until 1994 when they told her they would, from then on, pay the full contribution.
With the proposed cut, she says she would have had no extra money at the end of the month.
"Another widow told me she would lose a third of her entire monthly income if she had to pay her own medical aid contributions."
She is relieved that the company has decided to reinstate the payment of the medical contributions for widows and orphans, but is concerned that TML might change its mind again.
"There is a clause somewhere where they say they reserve the right to reconsider their decision at a later stage."