In her speech today to a rally of the National Pensioners Convention, Caroline Lucas, Green Party leader and MP for Brighton Pavilion, highlighted that 2 million of Britain's pensioners live in poverty.
Lucas welcomed the coalition government's announcement of a universal state pension, something that the Green Party has argued for. Despite the coalition's promise of a state pension at £140 per week still being below the poverty line of £170 per week (with £170 being the figure in the Green Party's 2010 general election manifesto), she said that it's "a starting point."
The Green Party's first MP also urged the government to create new jobs with programmes for free insulation for all homes that need it, prioritising pensioners and those in fuel poverty.
Excerpts of her remarks follow below.
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"At least 2 million of Britain's pensioners currently live in poverty, and I fear this figure may increase significantly in the wake of one of the most regressive budgets this country has even seen."
"We need to instead to invest in the future not decimate it. So I think we should, for example, be creating new green jobs with programmes like free insulation for all those homes that need it, giving priority to pensioners and those living in fuel poverty. Given that almost one in three older people live in homes with inadequate heating or insulation making their homes more difficult to heat and/or keep warm this would deliver real benefits to some of the most vulnerable in society. It would also, of course, help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the fight against climate change.
"I would like to welcome David Cameron's recent announcement that he is backing long standing Green Party policy with the introduction of a universal state pension. This is something we have argued for over the years and which I know the National Pensioners Convention supports too. Cameron has promised £140 per week which is still £30 below the poverty line of £170 per week and the level of state pension Greens recommend. But it is a starting point.
"We should treat longer life as an opportunity, not a problem. Older people have the wisdom, skills, experience and time to be of enormous benefit to our society.
"Pensioners deserve a state pension sufficient to cover their basic needs and enable them to live with pride and dignity. For me, a Citizen's Pension is a citizen's right. Any universal pension must not restrict an individual's right to continue working, and for any additional earnings to be taxed just as they would for those below the pension age.
"A Citizens Pension must be unconditional, given as a right and not subject to means testing. It must not be restricted to those people who have paid National Insurance contributions, which, for example currently leaves many women without a proper state pension due to having an incomplete payment record.
"Any funding for a Citizens Pension must not be at the expense of other necessary support for pensioners, like winter fuel grants, health care benefits and travel passes. These already make a difference to the lives of millions of pensioners and the Green Party is committed to protecting and extending them.
"And funding for a fair and universal state pension must not be at the expense of decent social care. Around 80% of those in need of care at home do not get it from the state and again any provision is linked to means testing.
"Modern society is supposed to be about progress - but when we look at how pensioners and older people are treated we seem to have gone backwards. Well I want to reverse that trend and also maintain the principle of a free NHS by implementing in England and Wales the scheme that provides free social care to the elderly in Scotland. If the Scots can do it so can we.
"Yes, there will be a price tag attached but the value of something is about much more than what is costs - something the coalition government have failed to realise."