Foster highlights pensioners' plight

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 12th Apr 2005

Don Foster has today visited the Peggy Dodds Centre, of which he is a Patron, to discuss with clients and their carers the issues that are facing elderly and disabled people, and to highlight his Party's policies for free personal care.

Commenting, Don Foster said,

"The staff at the Peggy Dodds centre do a fantastic job in sharing the burden of care with families and carers. So many local people rely heavily on their service.

"But my visit has served to highlight the scandalous way this Labour Government has treated older people!

"One in five pensioners now lives in poverty with many older people struggling to cover daily living costs and every year tens of thousands of older people have their savings wiped out by the costs of long-term personal care.

"Yet at the same time, the value of the state pension is falling, meaning that many are forced to manage on very low incomes in their latter years, and forced to accept means-tested benefits, such as Pension Credit, which fail to reach all those who are eligible."

Don Foster recently released figures to show that there may be as many as 1500 eligible pensioners in Bath who aren't claiming Pension Credit. ( see note 2.)

"Women and older pensioners (over 75) receive particularly low state pensions under the current system.

"Lib Dems will offer a brighter retirement for older people, by pledging fairer state pensions; free personal care and axing the hated Council Tax.

"It is unacceptable that this financial and emotional burden is placed on people exactly when they need their security most."