Lib Dem backs pensioners lobby of Parliament

11.47.57am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 8th Sep 2004

Woodspring Constituency's Prospective Liberal Democrat MP and North Somerset Councillor Mike Bell has backed today's lobby of Parliament by the National Pensioners Convention (NPC).

Speaking today, Councillor Bell endorsed many of the recommendations outlined in the NPC 'Pensioners Manifesto' and called upon the Government and all political parties to heed the concerns of senior citizens.

More than 1,000 pensioners, including many from North Somerset, will lobby Parliament in support of fairer pensions and decent health care.

Councillor Bell said: "Every nation owes a great debt to senior citizens for their lifetime of work and service. Over many years Britain has let down our older people. We have seen the breaking of the link between pensions and earnings. The introduction of VAT on fuel. Increased charges for residential and health care and successive council tax rises.

"It is no wonder that pensioners are saying that enough is enough!

"In two weeks, at our conference in Brighton, Liberal Democrats will be debating a new, fully costed policy paper which will include radical new proposals for overhauling the state pension system.

"We propose to introduce a Citizen's Pension, which will be based on a simple citizenship requirement, rather than on an often-patchy national insurance record. This will benefit women in particular, who often have gaps in their contribution records due to time spent out of the labour market.

"The Citizen's Pension will be paid at the level of the 'Guarantee Credit' part of the Pension Credit (currently £105.45 per week for a single person), and will be increased in line with average earnings to ensure that its real value is protected. This will ensure that pensioners can genuinely share in the growing wealth of the nation. It will also float people off the Pension Credit and so dramatically reduce the number of pensioners forced into the scope of the means-test.

"We will guarantee to introduce the Citizen's Pension for all pensioners aged 75 and over in the first full financial year of a Parliament, as a first step towards providing it for all. This means that all single pensioners over 75 will receive at least an extra £25 per week on their pension, and all pensioner couples will receive an extra £33 ."