§ 18. Mr. WinnickTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what recent representations he has received regarding the income of pensioners.
§ Mr. NewtonIn the past month, Ministers have met two delegations to discuss issues of general concern to pensioners.
§ Mr. WinnickIs the Secretary of State aware of the deep concern and anger that is felt by pensioners? Despite the statement that was made earlier today, they feel that they are being victimised. A large number of pensioners, especially those on income support and just above the income support level, face another winter of struggling daily to make ends meet. The Government should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves because of how those pensioners have lost out as a result of the decision taken in 1980, which resulted in pensions no longer being increased in line with earnings. A married couple has lost out by £24 a week directly as a result of Tory Government action.
§ Mr. NewtonThe hon. Gentleman will acknowledge that the pensioners about whom he is concerned—many Conservative Members share that concern—have benefited from the successive improvements in income support premiums of the past three years. Some 1 million such pensioners will gain next April from what I announced a few weeks ago, either directly through extra income support or through the effect of increased housing benefit or community charge benefit. I am not ashamed of that; I am glad that we have been able to do more to help those pensioners and I hope that we can continue to do so.