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£3.40 RISE FOR PENSIONERS ‘IS NOT ENOUGH TO END HARDSHIP’

Alistair Darling

Friday October 19,2007

By Gabriel Milland, Political Correspondent

Comment Speech Bubble Have your say(16)

Pensioners blasted Alistair Darling yesterday as he announced a “token” £3.40 increase in the basic state pension.

Despite Labour promises of increases in line with earnings, the Chancellor said pensioners will instead get a rise linked to inflation.

Pensioner groups and opposition spokesmen warned that the 3.9 per cent increase from £87.30 to £90.70 a week for a single person would mean a real decline in living standards.

Joe Harris, general secretary of the National Pensioners Convention, said: “This increase will fuel the anger already felt by millions of older people and do absolutely nothing to end the scandal of pensioner poverty.

“It is widely acknowledged that the real rate of inflation faced by pensioners is double the average figure because the items on which they spend their money, like food and fuel bills, have increased greatly over the last few months.

“The biggest losers will be those women who rely on their husband’s contributions to get their pension, because they will get just £2.05 a week – even less than the full £3.40 that’s been awarded.

“What pensioners want is a decent state pension set above the poverty level – starting at £119 and rising to £134 a week – coupled with a restoration of the link with earnings now.”

The NPC is staging a pensioners’ rally and lobby of Parliament on Wednesday to call for a higher basic state pension for all over-60s.

Shadow Secretary for Work and Pensions, Chris Grayling, said pensioners would feel they are getting a raw deal.

He added: “The harsh reality is that many pensioners face cost-of-living increases way above the cost of inflation.

“The Government’s latest round of stealth tax rises, including the potential rise in council tax last week, only adds to the burden they face.

“They haven’t even been given a definite date for the restoration of the earnings link.”

Lib Dem pensions spokesman Danny Alexander said the increase would do nothing to help the millions of pensioners struggling to survive on a state pension that is still £30 below the official poverty line.

And he blasted the Government’s remedy for pensioner poverty – the complicated means-test system of pensions credits.

Mr Alexander said: “Rather than relying on credits, which over 1.5million eligible pensioners do not claim, the Government should immediately restore the link with earnings as a first step towards a decent state pension.”

Even the GMB union attacked the Government, demanding that the earnings link be re-instated.

Paul Kenny, its general secretary, said: “The additional £3.40 for a single pensioner and £5.45 for a couple is welcome but it is not enough.

“The pensioners now in receipt of the state pension are the war generation and their living standards has to be one of our top priorities.”

The figures released yesterday mean that for a couple where the man has the full pension entitlement and the woman has no entitlement of her own, their joint pension will rise from £139.60 a week to £145.05 – an increase of £5.45.

The pension credit minimum guarantee will rise by 4.2 per cent, in line with earnings growth – an increase of £5 to £124.05 for a single pensioner, and £7.65 to £189.35 for a couple.

All income tax allowances will be raised in line with inflation. The personal allowance will rise by £210 to £5,435.

The starting point for employees, employers and self-employed national insurance contributions goes up by £5 to £105.

The child element of the child tax credit will increase in line with earnings by £240 to £2,085. The disabled child element rises in line with in inflation by £100 to £2,540 and the severely disabled child element is up by £40 to £1,020. The family element is frozen at £545.

A report for the Department for Work and Pensions shows 51 per cent of people don’t trust the Government to act in their best interests when it comes to retirement savings.

This increase will fuel the anger already felt by millions of older people and do absolutely nothing to end the scandal of pensioner poverty

Joe Harris, general secretary of the National Pensioners Convention

2ND LARGEST CONTRIBUTORS OF FOREIGN AID

20.10.07, 1:55am

Which mostly ends up in the Swiss bank accounts of despots.
But cannot (no,not cannot but refuse) to take care of our own.
Quite apart from the huge amounts given to any foreign free-loader that cares to turn up on our shores.
Civil unrest is long,long overdue in our country.

• Posted by: rozipoz • Report Comment

2ND LARGEST CONTIBUTORS OF FOREIGN AID

20.10.07, 1:55am

• Posted by: rozipoz • Report Comment

LABOURS DERISORY £3.40 PITTANCE FOR PENSIONERS!!

19.10.07, 12:05pm

I'm a 71 year old State pensioner, who saw active service in the Malayan Jungles in the 1950's, (supposedly, for the interests of this country,) my wife ,also a state pensioner is slightly younger than myself....In my opinion...This Nu Labour Government are again showing their deceit/true colours! In my opinion they never have been a party bothered about those who fought or gave their lives for this country ! Yet on the other hand, the greedy so/so's are always ready to dip their greedy fingers into the many "taxes" and additional taxes (we are now forced to pay,) to pay for the many additional drempt -up allowances/ wage increases, they keep awarding themselves! By what one could view as being deceptive moves, through near empty Paliamentry meetings......Yet at the same time, one could take it from such a derisory pittances passed to us Senior Citizens, (who suffered great hardship/ fought for the interests of this country in times of need, and paid full Taxes/NHIS thereafter,) That they are telling us we are all right Jack, the rest can go take a spin on the middle finger!! In my opinion this disgraceful way to treat us Senior Citizens, though not unexpected from the present Government!!

• Posted by: stantheman • Report Comment

SLOW INDIGNANT DEATH SENTANCE

19.10.07, 9:59am

I am shocked and appalled to think that pensioners who have worked hard all of their lives are reduced to living on what is tantamount to poverty.

This pathetic rise in pensions is a sentence of the elderly to a slow indignant death in extreme hardship and with little respect from the very people who should know better.

When will the decision makers in power have some respect for the elderly and the vulnerable members of our now sick society?

How on earth can anyone be expected to live on this pathetically low income?

For heaven's sake will the government review this and give pensions at least £250 pw to live on, after all that is the average weekly wage now and anything less is line with an archaic level or standard based on the by-gone days.

Mr Darling I have one sentence to say to you ....

"What goes around, comes around" karma WILL not be cheated even by you. So come on up the state pension to £250 pw per person and for each of the couple, after all if they were not elderly and unable to work they would be earning that each, get real here please before the elderly continue to perish, and you are condemning them to exactly that sir. Its almost Christmas and if you are not careful Mr Darling you will be nicknamed Darling Scrooge, do you want that lable?

Come on up the pensions and give the elderly their dignity back and show them some respect. Your standards are as Dickensian as your proposals, stop punishing the poor and robbing them to feed the rich like you. Be fair. You wont get my vote at the next general election unless you up the state pensions as I have suggested above and anyone out there with any sense will back me on this and do likewise.

• Posted by: Amber • Report Comment

CHEER UP IT COULD BE WORSE

19.10.07, 8:35am

so we all cheer up and it gets worse."BROWN HAS SOLD THE COUNTRY DOWN THE LINE TO BRUSSELS WITHOUT CARRYING OUT THE LABOUR MANDATE"

• Posted by: RobertG • Report Comment

REVOLUTION

19.10.07, 8:12am

I cannot wait much longer for the revolution, I hope it has the same results as the French one of 1789.
OFF WITH THEIR HEADS.
I bet this clown Darling gets a bigger rise that our pensioners. I will be joining the pensioners next year so let us has a bit more.

• Posted by: Robertz • Report Comment