General Election 2015: What the political parties are offering older people in their election manifestos

There are currently more than 10 million people who are over 65 in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which equates to one in six of the population.

This is a significant proportion of the vote especially as every vote will count in what is being described as one of the tightest elections in decades.

As might be expected, leading older people’s charity Independent Age has been monitoring the different parties’ manifestos closely.

Andrew Kaye, its head of policy and campaigns, says: “One good thing about this election is that none of the parties are viewing older people just through the social care prism. The three main parties are looking at a range of benefits for older people from their health to inheritance for their grandchildren.”

The grey vote is numerically important so to help the undecided make up their minds, here is a brief round up as to what seven individual parties are offering older people in their election manifestos.

Conservative

Back in March, David Cameron pledged that if he became Prime Minister, no means testing of universal pensioner benefits will take place which in effect means that the winter fuel payment, the bus pass and free TV licence for the over-75s will remain unchanged, promises that were re-endorsed in the Conservative manifesto. Other financial benefits include raising inheritance tax threshold for married couples and civil partners to £1m and rewarding savings by introducing a new single-tier pension. In addition the state pension will maintain what is known as the “triple lock”, so it rises by the highest of prices, earnings, or 2.5 per cent. For those still living at home, the Conservatives have pledged to freeze council tax too.

A central plank of the manifesto is the integration of health and social care , an additional £8bn over and above inflation by 2020 to the NHS and ensuring that people can see a GP and receive the hospital care they need, seven days a week with a guarantee that everyone over 75 will get a same-day appointment if they need one. Dementia research funding will continue to get high priority.

Labour

For Labour who introduced the National Health Service in 1948, this is very much an election about the future of the NHS and one of the key things it promises is an extra £2.5bn funding for the NHS, in which 20,000 more nurses and 8,000 GPs are budgeted for, as are 5,000 more homecare workers. Labour is promising a guarantee of a GP appointment within 48 hours and cancer test results within a week.

Other benefits for older people detailed include, like the Conservatives, protecting the state pension and keeping the ‘triple lock’ for pension increases and guaranteeing no further changes to bus passes or TV licences. However, the richest five per cent of pensioners may have their winter fuel payments restricted. If victorious, the Labour party is planning to freeze energy bills until 2017.

On the social care front it plans to integrate NHS and social care and, most importantly end 15-minute care visits. If elected, Labour also plans to appoint a new, independent Commissioner for Older People in England to represent the views of senior citizens.

Lib Dems

The Liberal Democrats are aiming to hold the centre ground – believing that with a hung parliament on the cards, they will hopefully hold the balance of power. Particularly interested in mental health, the party plans not only to integrate health and social care budgets but allow £3.5bn for mental health as well as increasing NHS funding.

Care reform is at the heart of the party’s planned reforms so as well as joining up health and social care, it plans to raise the amount that can be earned by an individual from £100 to £150 a week before they lose Carer’s Allowance and introduce a package of support for carers that includes an annual £250 carer’s bonus.

Like the other two main parties, the Lib Dems aim to keep the "triple lock" for pension increases and free bus passes for all pensioners, but older people paying the 40 per cent income tax rate will no longer get a winter fuel payment or free TV licence,. Also on their list of pledges is an intention to appoint a new cross-government 'Carer's Champion' to ensure carers get a voice at the heart of government.

UKIP

Like a number of other parties, the UK Independence Party wants to integrate health and social care services and increase funding to both, keeping the NHS free at the point of use. Its pension policies, include the introduction of a flexible state pension window, which will widen over time, so even when the state pension age increases to 69, pensioners will still be able to take a slightly lower weekly state pension from the age of 65. Central to this part of the Ukip manifesto is the funding of a higher standard of independent advice available to all pensioners and the development of a pensions advice and seminar programme that will help protect pensioners’ best interests and savings. The party promises to abolish inheritance tax and wants to keep council tax as low as possible.

Its social care pledges include the introduction of a legally-binding ‘Dignity Code’ to improve standards of professional care, the abolition of 15-minute homes care visits and ensuring that home care workers are paid for the entire time they are on duty. The Carers’ Allowance will be adjusted to match the higher level of Job Seekers Allowance.

Green Party

One of the main aims of the Green Party is to ensure that the NHS remains completely publicly run. Consequently, it proposes an increase to the NHS budget of £12bn a year to overcome the current funding crisis, increase investment in mental health care and provide free dentistry, chiropody and prescriptions in England. It also pledges the introduction of a free home insulation programme for all homes that need it, with priority for pensioners and those living in fuel poverty and free social care for all at the end of life. Zero-hours contracts would also be banned.

As far as pensions are concerned, the Green Party wants to introduce a Citizen’s Pension of £180 a week linked to the rise in average earnings, which means that all senior citizens would receive a non-means tested sum. The pensioners’ bus pass and winter fuel allowance would be kept.

SNP

Despite its turbulent history, the Scottish National Party has become a dominant political force in Scotland and the party now wants to win enough Westminster seats to hold sway over the next UK government. Its plans for older people include a back rise in NHS spending across UK of £24bn by 2020-21 and a promise that SNP MPs will vote against further privatisation of NHS in England.

With regard to pensions, it suggests a vote to continue the” triple lock" pension and supports a single-tier pension of £160 per week and a review of plans to increase the state pension age beyond 66.

Plaid Cymru

Key points of interest of older people in the Plaid Cymru 2015 General Election campaign is the pledge to train and recruit 1,000 extra doctors, invest in district nurses in rural areas and oppose NHS privatisation and integrate health and social care. It also supports a ‘Living Pension’ for all pensioners, set at the level of pension credit.

This election will no doubt be remembered as the one with a multitude of pledges – how many of them will be realised by the winning party (or coalition of parties) remains to be seen. As Mr Kaye says: “On the downside, it does remain a worry as to where the money is coming from. That the three main parties have committed to the ‘triple lock’ however is a welcome development.”

For more information visit either the BBC's website at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2015 or Independent Age's website at http://www.independentage.org/campaigning/parliament/election-watch/