Budget: Brown wakes up to the needs of older people

12.00.00am GMT Wed 9th Apr 2003

Liberal Democrats are winning the argument for older people, Liberal Democrat Spokesman for Older People Paul Burstow MP said today following the Chancellor's Budget Statement. Commenting on the £100 increase in the winter fuel payment for the over 80s, Paul Burstow MP said:

"At long last the Chancellor has acknowledged the running sore in our pensions system: the insulting 25p extra that the over 80s receive in their pension.

"But when pensioners do the sums, they will see that all the Chancellor is offering is an increase to an extra £2.17 a week. That falls a long way short of the £15 extra that Liberal Democrats believe the oldest pensioners deserve.

"This announcement shows that Liberal Democrats are clearly winning the argument. The best way to target extra help to the poorest pensioners is through increasing the pension, particularly for older pensioners."

On the partial abolition of hospital downrating, which entailed a reduction of benefits if people remained in hospital for more than 6 weeks, Paul Burstow MP said:

"It's good news that the Chancellor has finally responded to the Liberal Democrat campaign to scrap this unfair charge on the elderly ill. Pensioners will now keep the pension to which they are entitled.

"The Chancellor has woken up to the fact that this was a backdoor tax on older people, who found themselves stuck in hospital through no fault of their own."

ENDS