PENSIONERS: UK fourth at risk of poverty, claims Tory
Press Release :
1 April 2008
Britain's pensioners are some of the most likely in Europe to be at risk of poverty, according to newly released figures.
Britain is the fourth worst country in the EU on the at-risk-of-poverty rankings produced by the EU – only pensioners in Cyprus, Spain and Latvia are more likely to fall into poverty.
The Conservatives claimed that between 1.1 and 1.7 million pensioners are not claiming the help they are entitled to, with over half of these pensioners living in poverty.
Latest figures show that the Department for Work and Pensions are way off their targets with Pension Credit being paid only to 2.6 million recipients and Guarantee Credit being paid to fewer than 2 million pensioners.
MP for Meriden and Conservative Party Chairman, Caroline Spelman commented: "This information is very depressing and despite all the promises from the Prime Minister this is the reality for many pensioners today in my constituency.
"The means-testing system is so complicated that many pensioners just aren't claiming the support they need. They are being hit really hard by the year on year council tax hikes which are just more stealth taxes, but with local councils getting the blame. This makes life very difficult for elderly people on fixed incomes."
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