Pensions reform urgently needed, say Dundee Liberal Democrats
Dundee Liberal Democrats have today (Thursday 11th May) condemned the failure of the "New Labour" Government's pensions policy following the government's admission that its target of paying 3 million pensioner households Pension Credit by March 2006 will not be met.
"We have long argued that the Pension Credit was not the correct way to properly tackle poverty amongst senior citizens and the latest DWP figures on Pension Credit take-up reinforce this," said Dundee City Council LibDem Group Leader, Cllr Fraser Macpherson.
David Laws MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, said,"Means-testing is simply unsustainable. The Government must accept that fundamental reform of the pension system is needed."
Earlier this month, Dundee LibDem local party Secretary Michael Charlton pointed out that "the government's admission that around half of the UK's pensioners suffer the indignity of means testing sums up Labour's failure in government."