Pensioners protest about declining incomes
Pensioners are to descend on Parliament today to protest about the continuing decline in pensioners’ income.
Around 1,000 pensioners are expected to join a mass lobby in Westminster to protest about the Government’s policy towards pensioners and the rising cost of living.
The National Pensioners Convention is organising today’s protest to put the plight of Britain’s pensioners at the top of the forthcoming party conferences’ agendas.
The NPC claims that the value of the basic state pension has fallen by £30 since the link with earnings was broken in 1980. The group points out that whilst pension values have been falling, the cost of living, such as council tax and utility bill increases have completely absorbed this year’s weekly increase of £1.92.
The NPC argues that the fall in value coupled with the increase in living costs is pushing more pensioners into debt and poverty.
Rodney Bickerstaffe, NPC President stated: ‘The vast majority of pensioners rely on the state pension for the bulk of their income, so if it loses its value, they end up sinking further and further into debt and poverty.’
The NPC also wants to highlight the Government increasing use of mean-testing benefits for pensioners. The group accuses the Government of wanting to double the number of pensioners who face means-tested benefits.
Mr Bickerstaffe added: ‘The Government says it wants to end pensioner poverty but continues to go about it the wrong way through means testing. This is unpopular amongst many older people who feel they should not have to fill in forms and divulge every last detail of their personal lives in order to get a decent income, when they have already spent over 40 years making a useful contribution to society.’
The Pensions Minister, Malcolm Wicks defended the Government’s policy towards pensioners on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. He claimed that the introduction of the new pensions credit would target help to the country’s poorest pensioners.
Mr Wicks commented: ‘We’re committed to maintaining the level of the basic pension, but given the poverty we inherited in old age, we think it’s right to target the extra resources on the poorest.’
