Dundee Liberal Democrats' concern over poor take-up of Pension Credit (Dundee Liberal Democrats)

Dundee Liberal Democrats <info@dundeelibdems.org.uk>

Dundee Liberal Democrats' concern over poor take-up of Pension Credit

July 23, 2006 10:54 AM

Dundee Liberal Democrats have today (Sunday 23rd July) expressed their concern following news that the Department for Work and Pensions will miss its target to increase take up of the Pensions Credit to three million households.

A National Audit Office report 'Progress in Tackling Pensioner Poverty' makes clear that the Labour Government has failed in its commitment to meet take-up targets for this benefit which is aimed at helping the poorest pensioner households throughout the UK.

''Another day, another New Labour failure,'' commented Cllr Fraser Macpherson, Liberal Democrat Finance convener of Dundee City Council. ''Liberal Democrats have always argued that the way forward on pensions was not to have a means-tested 'credit' system but to have a proper citizen's pension for all. Its vital for Dundee pensioners and for elderly citizens throughout the UK that the citizen's pension model is adopted.''

Liberal Democrat Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, David Laws MP said, "The obscene complexities in the pensions system mean that many older people are still not getting the pension they are entitled to. A quarter of all potential payments are still not being claimed.