The Government has set itself a commendable target to end child poverty. But there is no comparable commitment to end pensioner poverty.

Poverty comes in many forms, and today’s pensioners are very often poor not only in terms of cash, but also in the quality of their neighbourhoods and the opportunities available to them to take a full part in society.

A campaign by Help the Aged, supported by the Seniors’ Network is urging the Government to show an equal commitment on behalf of older people. They point out that the establishment of a decent universal state pension is the only effective way to deliver on pensioners’ basic needs. But there are also other more focused reforms which will address some of the worst areas of pensioner poverty, and these are urgently needed now:

? Bridging the huge gulf between entitlement and actual claims for pensioner benefits;

? Improving the weekly addition to the state pension at age 80, currently a laughable 25p;

? Making work pay for the poorest pensioners by increasing the earnings disregard to £75 a week;

? Ending the indefensible anomaly whereby disability before the age of 65 brings a mobility benefit which is denied to those who become disabled after the age of 65;

? Preventing the scandal of over 20000 excess winter deaths of older people because we cannot manage the effects of winter cold; and

? Helping pensioners play a fuller part in their neighbourhoods by such simple methods as improving street lighting and better (free) public transport.
Source: Seniors Network