Pensioners call for state pension rise

Pensioners held a protest in Bletchley to gather support for their campaign to raise the state pension.

The National Pensioners Convention (NPC), of which Milton Keynes Pensioners Association (MKPA) is a member, held a vigil in Queensway on Monday morning as part of a series of protests held across the country.

Members of the MKPA took part and collected signatures on a petition to support their campaign.

The NPC claims the latest state pension increase, announced on Monday, fails to tackle growing pensioner poverty.

The state pension will increase by £4.55 a week for those with a full national insurance (NI) contribution record and by £2.70 for those, mainly women, who were unable to pay sufficient NI throughout their working lives.

The rise brings a full state pension to £95.25 a week and a reduced pension to £57.05. The NPC claim this is still below the poverty level, estimated to be around £165 a week, at a time when pensioners are also being hit by the rising cost of food and energy and loss of income from their investments.

Peter Ballantyne, spokesman for Milton Keynes Pensioners Association and NPC regional secretary said: "What we are campaigning for affects everyone's future, as they will be part of an even greater number of pensioners in the coming years.

"What is easily forgotten is that the majority of today's pensioners are still paying Income Tax, as even the state pension is taken out of the pensioner tax allowance.

"When the state pension is added to pension credit it still does not match the officially quoted poverty line.

"The situation where women who stayed at home to raise their families or took on caring roles and receive just £57 per week or less must end.

"Pensioners, both now and in the future, need dignity and security in retirement that only a decent state pension can provide. While Europe has recognised this, Britian continues to have the lowest state pension of all 25 member countries."

A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said: "Increasing the basic state pension would not target resources on the poorest pensioners.

"We have committed to re-link the value of the basic State Pension to average earnings. This is part of a coherent and affordable package of reforms that will benefit existing and future pensioners as more and more people gain entitlement to a full basic State Pension."