Labour will today (Tuesday 26th September 2019) set out its offer to pensioners in more detail with a new ‘Pensioners Pledge Card’, after the Tories chose to ignore the biggest issue affecting older people in their manifesto; the social care crisis

Labour have seven policies which will be released on the new pledge card. The party says the polices will “restore dignity and support” for older people living in Britain.

Labour’s ‘Pensioners Pledge Card’ will include plans to:

Introduce free personal care and invest £10.8 billion in social care provision

Keep the free bus pass for older people

Restore 3,000 bus routes that have been cut under the Tories and give councils the powers to regulate services again

Stop the Tories taking free TV licences from over-75s

Compensate the nearly four million women that lost out unfairly when the change in the state pension age was changed without fair notice

age was changed without fair notice Invest in Warm Homes for All with insulation for every home

End the injustice of the state skimming 50% off the mineworkers’ pension s schemes

The Conservatives have cut £8 billion from social care since 2010 – and have not allocated one penny extra to social care in their manifesto. According to Age UK, 1.5 million older people are not getting the care they need.

John McDonnell, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, said:

“Labour’s new pledge card sets out our offer to restore dignity and proper support for older people after being abandoned by the Conservatives.

“Older people have had their pensions threatened under the Tories and nearly four million women born in the 1950s had their pensions robbed.

“The scandalous state of the care system is perhaps the biggest crisis facing our country. Labour will build a new National Care Service with free care for those who need it at the heart.”

Ends