The Conservative Party manifesto launched an all-out attack on pensioner incomes, with three major new burdens placed on older people:
- Scrapping the ‘triple lock’ on state pensions so that pensioner incomes are no longer protected from a Tory hard Brexit.
- Means testing Winter Fuel Payments to remove support to heat the homes of 10 million pensioners
- Forcing those who need social care to pay for it using their homes
Labour will stand up for older people by maintaining the triple-lock on state pensions, protect winter fuel payments and free bus passes and spend an additional £8 billion over the Parliament on addressing the Tories’ social care crisis, while also laying the foundations for a new National Care Service.
Commenting on the pensioner penalties being promised by the Conservatives, Jeremy Corbyn, Leader of the Labour Party, said:
“Theresa May’s nasty party has launched a shameful attack on older people – introducing a compassion tax to force those in need of social care to pay for it with their family home. Labour is standing up for pensioners and guaranteeing the triple-lock on state pensions, as well as giving social care the funding it needs.
“It is clear the Conservatives are offering more of the same, tax giveaways for their billionaire friends and nothing for ordinary people. Labour is standing up for the many, not the few.”
Debbie Abrahams, Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary said:
“The Conservative Party is completely abandoning older people by scrapping the pensions ‘triple lock’, removing the Winter Fuel Allowance from 10 million pensioners, making 34 million people work longer and forcing those who need care to pay for pay for it with their family home.
“This is the direct result of seven years of Tory economic failure. Labour completely oppose this shocking attack on a whole generation.
“We will deliver a secure and dignified retirement for the many, not just the few wealthy enough to manage under these Tory attacks.”
Ends
Notes to editors
According to the Resolution Foundation, the Conservative manifesto commitment to means test the Winter Fuel Payment will remove entitlement from 10 million pensioners: http://www.resolutionfoundation.org/media/blog/death-taxes-the-conservative-manifesto-and-the-changing-politics-of-intergenerational-fairness/
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