Heartbreak of pensioners in poverty
Some Scots pensioners are having to cash in funeral plans just to pay for everyday household items like milk and bread, it has been claimed.
- By Graeme Strachan
- Published in the Courier : 16.06.10
- Published online : 16.06.10 @ 02.40pm
The chairwoman of the Scottish Pensioners Forum, speaking before its annual conference in Dundee, said things would continue to get worse until the basic state pension is raised above the poverty level.
"We hear heartbreaking stories about older people who are having to cash in their funeral plans to pay for everyday expenses and the fuel issue keeps coming up again and again," Elinor McKenzie said.
"A lot of older people have taken out funeral plans because they are concerned about what's going to happen to them at the end of their days.
"But they are cashing them in before the time just to pay for things like bread and milk."
Mrs McKenzie said rising fuel prices were crippling pensioners struggling on low incomes.
"One in four pensioners in the UK are living in poverty — in Scotland it's slightly less but not significantly, so you are still talking about a high proportion of pensioners living in poverty," she said.
"That includes many women who don't qualify for the full basic state pension and who may not be willing to claim pension credit because of the intrusive nature of the system.
"The value of the state pension has been falling year on year and the uptake of pension credit has been increasing, but 30% of those eligible for pensioners credit flatly refuse to take it.
"Many women are only entitled to 60% of the basic state pension, which is less than £100 a week, so you are talking about very little to live on."
Dundee Pensioners Forum secretary Gordon Samson said it was a similar situation for OAPs in the city and urged the Westminster government to do more to help those struggling to get by.
"Pensioners are living in poverty in Dundee and it's higher in some areas than others," he said.
"It just depends on where you live and whether you are actually claiming what you are entitled.
"We are finding that many Dundee pensioners are not claiming their benefits because of the complications with the means system that is currently in place.
"People are confused. As far as our organisation is concerned all these benefits should be universal and the tax system should adjust.
"They talk about benefit cheats but there are millions and millions of benefits going unclaimed.
"We believe the link that was there between average earnings and pensions in the 1980s must be restored.
"If the link had not been broken by the Tory government in the early 80s, the pension would be £173 — that is £76 more than what is paid now."
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