Coalition faces growing pressure from National Pensioners Convention

The National Pensioners Convention (NPC) are to lobby MPs as Parliament debates the Finance Bill, feeling incensed on a wide range of issues and policies that affect the lives of older people.

While looking to fight the freeze on age-related tax allowances announced in the Budget, the NPC are also opposed to winter fuel allowance cuts, failing social care services and changes to pension benefits.

Commenting on the current situation, Dot Gibson, general secretary of the NPC, said:

“The Chancellor’s decision to freeze the age-related personal tax allowances in the Budget has completely backfired. We have been inundated by pensioners who are disgusted that those on around £11,000 a year will no longer get additional reductions in their tax – whilst those earning £150,000 or more will see their tax bills reduced. This is seen by many as the last straw – coming on top of cuts to the winter fuel allowance, changes to the way pensions are uprated and crumbling care services.”

Ms Dot Gibson continued: “Pensioners feel they are being asked to bail out the super rich – and it’s simply not fair.”

The NPC began its ‘Fair Care Campaign’ during the week of the Budget, appealing for the Government to consider financing a £10bn National Care Service to tackle issues that “successive governments have ducked”. Key to the campaign’s priorities include a lack of effective regulation, inadequate training and qualifications amongst care staff, and disparities between means-tested and NHS funded care, while the NPC also wants to see the eradication of the ‘postcode lottery’ that service users encounter when sourcing care services.

Further to the lobbying of MPs in Parliament, the NPC have also announced its support for an online e-petition, created by Arthur Streatfield and entitled ‘Restoration of Age Related Tax Allowances’ that, at the time of writing, has more than 59,000 signatures.

The chief executive of care home provider Anchor, Jane Ashcroft has been among those to support the NPC's stance, saying: "Those who have contributed so much to society should be able to expect support in old age yet they consistently seem to be bottom of the Chancellor's priority list. This raid on elderly people comes at a time when many are already reeling from falling state support from their care."