Letter: Pensioner poverty

Around 3 million pensioners live below the minimum income standard. Ethnicity is a big factor too, for the 16 per cent plus of White pensioners in poverty, the numbers for Asian and Black pensioners is over 30 per cent. Also house ownership is an issue, as vulnerable groups that rent are much more likely to be in poverty, almost 40 per cent. Disability means individuals have extra care needs which further pushes them into poverty. Gender means women suffer from the gender pay gap and are more likely to have had work breaks means reduced pensions.

Given that currently there over 9 million people of working age on benefits, the government expectation of people saving for their retirement cannot work. The problem will be compounded. And for those who have made extra provision for their old age, that money is now taxed! We propose a tax threshold of £21,000 would be fair to pensioners who have saved all their lives, and gone without for that end.

Governments and their economists would like to take away the Triple Lock that helps to maintain the value of our pension, a state pension that is amongst the lowest in Europe. As stated, it is half the living wage and to give pensioners an acceptable quality of life it should be doubled.

Workers who hopefully will be pensioners one day need to be earning a real and not minimum wage, be helped to have their own home, and be able to stay in employment, and then there is the possibility of a worthwhile retirement. Workers and their unions need to be addressing this now. They also need to increase their support to the National Pensioners’ Convention (NPC), along with those of pension age joining (see website). We all need to unite and let the politicians how it really is for the working man and the ‘ordinary’ pensioner.

Yours, Adrian Rimington chair Chesterfield Pensioners’ Convention (part of the NPC)