Shaun Bailey
Conservative Party

Rollo Miles
Green Party

Merlene Emerson
Liberal Democrats

In 1997, Britain had one of the best pension systems in the world. Unfortunately, the past 13 years have seen this once exemplary system become extremely fragile. It now fails to offer the security and dignity that our older population deserves.

I don't believe Gordon Brown set out to intentionally make life difficult for the elderly, but that is exactly what has resulted from his £100 billion stealth tax raid on pensions. Also, our pension system is now extremely complicated and almost impossible to navigate. Many who are of an older age are now feeling frightened about whether their pensions will ever provide the security intended.

Conservatives have pledged to restore the earnings link and increase the basic state pension, end the effective obligation to buy an annuity at 75 and introduce a new, voluntary home protection scheme to help stop people having to sell their homes to pay for residential care. We will also keep the winter fuel allowance, increase the basic state pension and protect free bus passes for pensioners.

People often say that you can judge a country by how it treats the elderly. Conservatives believe that people shouldn't be fearful of retirement. They should look forward to it with confidence.

Let’s start with decent pensions. After 13 years of Labour rule, we still have unacceptable levels of poverty. It is particularly offensive that 25% of pensioners still live in poverty.

The Green Party would introduce a Citizen’s Pension. We need a new system of Citizen’s Pensions.

The Citizen’s Pension would be paid unconditionally to all pensioners in the UK (independent of contribution record) at the rate of the official poverty line
(currently £170pw for someone living alone, and the rate would be £300pw for couples), and would be linked to average earnings. It would also be paid to, and up-rated for, the one million pensioners living abroad.

Housing Benefit and disability benefits would continue to be paid. The demeaning Pension Credits would be abolished.

On healthcare: Keep the health service free – abolish prescription charges, reintroduce free eye tests and NHS dental treatment for all, and ensure NHS chiropody is widely available.

In particular, maintain the principle of a free NHS by implementing in England and
Wales the scheme that provides free social care to the elderly in Scotland. If the
Scots can do it, so can the rest of us. Ensure that all cost-effective treatments
are available to all patients who need them. Provide accessible, local community health centres that provide a wide range of services, including out-of-hours care, and are an additional tier of healthcare rather than a replacement for your GP.

Make public transport public:
Simplify fares for all public transport, with discounted fares for off-peak journeys
and for those with low incomes. Support free local transport for pensioners.
Return the railways, tube system and other light railway systems, including both
track and operations, to public ownership.

I believe the way older people are treated is the mark of a fair society.
Older people have worked hard and contributed to our society for decades –
they deserve a fair deal. Sadly, this hasn’t materialised under the current Labour government.

The Liberal Democrats would do things differently. We would immediately restore the link between the basic state pension and earnings, as well as increasing the state pension annually. Our plans to reform the tax system by increasing the income tax threshold to £10,000 would also save most pensioners around £100 a year.

For those who wish to remain in work, the Liberal Democrats would scrap the
compulsory retirement ages and would give people direct control over their pension by scrapping the rules that force the purchase of annuities when reaching 75.

There is also a serious long-term crisis facing older people in the sustainability for providing long term care. A Liberal Democrat Government would establish an independent commission to develop future proposals for long-term care that will be sustainable. We would also offer a week’s respite for the one million carers who spend up to 50 hours every week looking after sick relatives.

The problems facing older people have often been treated like a political
football – this is unacceptable. Only the Liberal Democrats have
fully-costed plans to ensure that later life is a life worth living.