Govt announcement 'great news for pensioners'

Healthcare News
24/06/2009
The government has announced that it is to move the basic state pension age to make it equal on a gender basis as well as help the payments to be increased each year in line with average earnings.

The government has announced that it is to move the basic state pension age to make it equal on a gender basis as well as help the payments to be increased each year in line with average earnings.

This change to legislation has been welcomed with open arms by Help the Aged and Age Concern, which said that it has been a "national disgrace" that over two million pensioners have been trapped in poverty, making the reforms all the more important.

However, the charities stated that the government must go further to improve the conditions faced by those in home care who struggle to afford their quality of life on a daily basis.

It was added: "We would urge any older person who is struggling financially to find out if they are entitled to benefits - more than £5 billion of benefits goes unclaimed by pensioners each year.

"For more information, contact your local Age Concern."

The charities joined forces on April 1st 2009 to ensure that one unified voice represented the elderly community.

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