Sollitt pledges to end means testing for pensioners

8.26.06pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 21st Apr 2005

No morfe means testing for pensioners - Sollitt

Steve Sollitt and the Lib Dems have pledged an extra £25 a week on pensions for the over 75s as a first step towards abolishing means-testing.

Steve said "Many older people find means-testing degrading and complicated. As a result millions of pounds of pension credit goes unclaimed every year and simply disappears back into the treasury coffers. We believe that after a lifetime of hard work pensioners should be given the comfortable retirement they deserve."

The extra £25 (£33 for couples) would lift over one million pensioners out of means-testing altogether and would eventually be extended to all pensioners. In addition the Liberal Democrats would introduce free personal care for the elderly, scrap the council tax (which discriminates most against the poorest pensioners) and introduce free local train and bus travel.

This would be in addition to the free TV licences and winter fuel payments already in place. However, recipients of the winter fuel allowance would be given a choice as to whether the money should be spent on a subsidised package of home insulation measures to try and solve the problem of fuel poverty for good.