SOCIETY State pension should be doubled
The Government must honour its pre-election pledges to make ageing issues a priority, the charity Age Concern said yesterday, adding that by 2031 nearly 23 per cent of the population will be over pensionable age, and the number of over-75s will double in the next 50 years.
Although the basic state pension is pounds 62.45, the charity says that a single pensioner needs pounds 125 for a modest but adequate income. "The new Government must make it a priority to work out how the figure can be achieved."
Access to the NHS must continue to be on a "need, not ability to pay" basis, and a national commission should be set up to investigate discrimination in the NHS - at present 20 per cent of coronary care units operate an age-related admissions policy.
Glenda Cooper
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