Help the Aged calls for pension reform

Friday, October 28, 2005

The charity Help the Aged has called for a citizen's pension based on "residency and not contributions".

The comments come following the release of the Pensions Trends publication by the Office for National Statistics that revealed that more than half of people of working age do not contribute to a pension scheme other than state pension.

"The answer lies in a fair Citizen's Pension set at a level that allows pensioners to enjoy a decent quality of life as opposed to subsistence," said Adrian Thomas, a spokesperson for the charity.

"The existing pension system leaves too many people falling between the cracks - women and carers with broken contributory records find themselves with a pension which is simply inadequate."

Help the Aged's remarks come in a week where charity Age Concern has also voiced its opinion regarding pensions.

The charity has asked the government to consider raising the state pension so that older people can afford the costs of heating their homes throughout the predicted harsh winter.