An election has been called for July 4 and campaigning has begun in earnest.
Despite a rapidly ageing population – one in five of us is over 65, and within two decades that will rise to one in four – there is huge uncertainty around so many key factors that determine the quality of later life in the UK.
We have rarely faced a more important General Election for today’s and tomorrow’s older and retired people.
Accordingly the National Pensioners Convention (NPC) has launched its Manifesto for Older People. Every older person has the right to choice, dignity, independence and security as an integral and valued member of society.
The UK faces significant challenges, an ageing population, inadequate pensions, health and social care services in crisis and rising poverty for millions of people.
Access to essential services like housing, transport and health and social care is problematic, and is worsened by digital-first approach that excludes many people.
Blaming older people for complex social issues only perpetuates ageism and division. Everyone is affected by the economic and environmental crisis.
Intergenerational fairness is important, but simply worsening the position for older people today won’t solve the problems of tomorrow.
The NPC urges all political parties to prioritise policies that will provide dignity and security for everybody, particularly people in later life.
The NPC represents around 1.1 million members in hundreds of different organisations across the UK.
We campaign for both today’s and tomorrow’s pensioners. Uniting the generations in defence of the welfare state and public services is an important part of our work.
We call for:
lUrgent and sustained action on the cost of living crisis, with an effective strategy to address poverty, including a fairer tax system with the basic tax threshold to be retrospectively adjusted to account for inflation since its freezing, and therefore index-linked to annual inflation rates.
lA decent state pension, set at 70 per cent of the Living Wage (£294 weekly in 2024), and linked to the triple lock; maintenance of universal pensioner entitlements and a halt to the planned rise in State Pension Age.
lA National Care Service, funded from general taxation, free at the point of delivery, with its own independent monitoring unit, working alongside a fully funded and fully public NHS.
lSafe, dependable, accessible and publicly owned public transport; proper staffing on trains and stations, improvements to the national concessionary travel scheme and a reversal of the major decline in bus services.
lA major house building programme to solve the national housing crisis, including 85,000 sustainable homes yearly for older people.
lClimate change action to meet Net Zero targets, insulate existing homes to save energy, reduce bills and improve people’s health, regulate energy profits, provide free basic energy to all households.
lAn end to digital exclusion, ensure equitable and affordable access to information and services, and maintain local access to cash.
lVoter ID to be scrapped. It has disenfranchised many people, especially from poorer, older, and ethnic minority communities.
lA Commissioner for Older People in all four nations to act as an independent champion and to ensure that policy and practice across government considers the needs of people in later life and the implications of our ageing population on society.
Rodney Sadd
Crowland
