According to the Labour Party website the Labour Party have achieved the following in their time in power:
Why Labour?
The world is facing a set of unprecedented economic challenges. Labour is providing real help for pensioners to support them through these tough times.
We have given every pensioner an extra £60 to their Christmas bonus on top of a rise in the state pension as well as providing increased Winter Fuel payments to help pensioners heat their homes. We also trebled Cold Weather Payments to help the most vulnerable pensioners during the cold winter months. All those receiving the Pension Credit are eligible to benefit from the government’s Warm Front scheme which insulates homes.
Labour has always believed in providing dignity in retirement. The challenge now, while still providing for today’s pensioners, will be to encourage and reward saving for all people to ensure greater well-being in later life. We have already taken action to protect occupational pensions with the Pension Protection Fund. When it is affordable, we will re-link the basic state pension to earnings.
Key achievements:
* 900,000 pensioners have been lifted out of poverty since 1997.
* We are spending around £13 billion more on pensioners in real terms than under the Tory years.
* We have brought in the Winter Fuel Allowance and free off-peak bus travel for over-60s and free TV licences for over-75s.
* We have given carers of elderly or disabled people the right to request flexible working.
* We have legislated to tackle unfair age discrimination in the workplace.
* Average pensioner incomes from the state are up by 25 per cent, more than the rise in earnings over the last decade.
New Labour, your Britain
* We are providing help for pensioners now, including: Cutting VAT this year worth £275 off the average household bill; An extra £60 bonus for pensioners on top of a rise in the state pension; Increasing the Pension Credit meaning a minimum of £130 a week; A Winter Fuel Payment of £400 for over-80s households and £250 to the over-60s; Trebling the value of Cold Weather Payments this year; Increasing funding for the Warm Front programme to insulate pensioners’ homes; and helping savers by increasing the threshold of Individual Savings Accounts to over £10,000.
* When it is affordable, we will re-link the basic state pension to earnings. We aim to do this by 2012 or by the end of the next parliament at the latest.
* We will recognise the break many people take to bring up children or care for others so that almost half a million extra women currently between 45 and 55 would be entitled to a full basic state pension thanks to our reforms.
* Occupational pensions will be more secure, thanks to the Pension Protection Fund.
* To help vulnerable groups with rising energy prices the government would like energy companies to increase the amount they spend on social tariffs which reduce rates for
Labour Party Older People Policy :http://www.labour.org.uk/older_people
I would be interested to hear both positive and negative views on Labour’s Older People policies in the comments below?
If the bus passes for Over60’s are only to be issued on a means tested basis in the future or worse still they are to be phased out altogether, then I consider that it would be essential for the Government to agree to increasing the basc pensions as the cost of daily travel would make a huge hole in personal budgets. People who get out and about and meet people and visit ne places tend to stay healthier than those who are confined to four walls and therefore the bus passes are well worth continuing with surely.
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