The National Pensioners Convention (NPC), Britain's biggest pensioner organisation, has claimed the latest pension research from the UK Statistics Authority reveals the shocking reality of pensioner hardship in 21st century Britain.Joe Harris, NPC general secretary said: "For years, successive governments told us that it was okay to keep the state pension low because private company pension schemes would ensure that everyone had a comfortable income in retirement. But these figures prove that was a myth. A 100 years after the first ever state pension and 62% of pensioner couples and at least 50% of single pensioners are living well below the official poverty line. It is a national scandal, yet the government's only solution is to offer people means-tested benefits and delay restoring the link with earnings until 2012. The country can afford to give all older people a decent pension of at least £135 a week that goes up each year in line with wages. After 100 years, it's time we ended pensioner poverty for good.
PENSION FACTS
- The state pension link with average earnings was broken in 1980. Had the link remained, today's state pension for an individual would now be worth £145.15 a week rather than £90.70.
- By the time the link is restored by the government in 2012, 3m of today's pensioners will have already died.
- The national insruance fund currently has a surplus balance of £46bn.
- Around 1.8m pensioners do not claim the means-tested Pension Credit, despite being eligible.
- 1 in 5 pensioners live below the official poverty line, the vast majority of them women.
For more information contact Neil Duncan-Jordan on 07940-357-608Visit www.pension 100.co.uk for information about the NPC's pension campaign
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