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Campaigning pensioners slam UK Government over inadequate handling of cost-of-living crisis

The Scottish Pensioners’ Forum, the campaigning organisation for older people in Scotland, has today slammed the UK Government over an inadequate Spring Statement which is ‘totally out of touch with reality.’ 

Rose Jackson, SPF Chair fumed:

‘Most working-class people certainly won’t have a spring in their step after this dismal attempt at support from a vastly out of touch UK Government. As the cost of living continues to surge to record highs, this Spring Statement offers nothing but empty promises yet again.

‘How can ordinary people honestly afford to put food on their tables and heat their homes with increases spiralling out of control? The Chancellor’s half-baked attempt to do the right thing just won’t cut it.’

It was announced last year that the triple lock element of the UK state pension would be suspended for a year however the latest increase to the state pension, around just over 3%, sits at half the current rate of inflation.

‘Pensioners have no way of increasing their income which is well below the UK Government’s own policy level - this abhorrent oversight to help those most in need is nothing short of shameful’.

‘The slashing of the triple lock element of the basic state pension shows that the UK Government just don’t care. Apply for pension credit is the usual mantra however if the UK Government paid a decent state pension, currently one of the worst in Europe, this continued circus act of jumping through hoops to claim what is rightfully theirs would be a thing of the past for pensioners. Pensioner poverty is real and its only set to get worse’

‘The workers of today are the pensioners of tomorrow and we must ALL work together to fight against continued attacks on our state pension system. Our pensions are a right that are slowly being eroded by a clever sleight of hand. We can’t allow this to happen.’

March 2022