Laura supports Tunbridge Wells pensioners

3.44.30pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 13th Apr 2005

Parliamentary Candidate Laura Murphy, "Our pensioners deserve better from central government."

Local resident Graham Allt, last week complained to the local newspaper that that the over 80s were being ignored by governments since they were awarded a supplement of 25p a few years ago. Parliamentary Candidate Laura Murphy took up the challenge posed by Mr Allt.

"Mr Allt has made an important point in his letter to the Courier about the measly 25p given to pensioners over 80. At the time the Liberal Democrats considered it derisory and that it trivialised the vital contribution that men and women of that age made to the safety and security of our country.

The Liberal Democrats want to put that right. We are proposing that the over 75s should have an immediate £100 per month extra on their pensions. This will pull over 8,000 Tunbridge Wells pensioners out of the means testing trap. In addition, we want to tackle the outrageous scandal of those women, who by putting caring for their families before jobs, are not entitled under the current system to any pension at all. We would introduce pension rights for these women by residency, not working life.

These two actions, together with scrapping the unfair Council tax and making personal care free for the elderly, would make life considerably better for those people mentioned by Mr Allt."