A Help the Aged campaign supported by Seniors Network.

Help the Aged is outraged at the continuing high level of poverty and social isolation of so many of our older people. Poverty comes in many different shapes and sizes. but by the government's own admission, and in spite of its claims of commitment to social justice. today's pensioners are very often poor not only in terms of the income they receive, and the quality of their neighbourhoods but also the opportunities available to them to take a full part in society.
We are calling upon the government to match its publicly stated commitment to ending child poverty with similar energy on behalf of older people. Fundamental to this is the establishment of a decent universal basic state pension that will deliver basic needs. And there are also more focused reforms and initiatives that we believe will address some of the worst areas of pensioner poverty, that are urgently needed now. These are:

? bridging the huge gulf between entitlement and claim rates of pensioner benefits;
? radical improvement in the addition at age 80 to the weekly state pension, which currently stands at a derisory extra 25p:
? making work pay for poorest pensioners with a decisive increase in the earnings disregard, to ?75 a week:
? ending, the absurd and indefensible anomaly whereby disability before age 65 brings a mobility benefit currently denied to those over the age of 65:
? preventing the scandal of over 20,000 winter deaths each year of older people that happen because we cannot manage the effects of winter cold:
? helping pensioners to take a fuller part in their neighbourhoods through initiatives such as improved street lighting and consistent free travel opportunities.
 

Go to Help the Aged website for more information

Age Discrimination blights the lives of older people and causes immense hardship, but what exactly is it and have you been affected by it? Read the executive summary (PDF 97Kb)