Pensioners’ Poverty Trap

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Conference
2010 Retired Members' Conference
Date
17 June 2010
Decision
Carried

This Conference notes that older people in receipt of state pension as their sole income are entitled to benefits such as Pension Credit. However, we deplore the fact that older people with a state pension and a small occupational pension which takes them above the cut-off point for means-tested benefits deprives them of such benefits and, as a result, places them in a poverty trap.

This is blatantly unfair and must be addressed.

This Conference calls on the National Retired Members’ Committee to campaign through the National Pensioners’ Convention, Scottish Pensioners’ Forum, Trades Union Congress, Scottish Trades Union Congress and affiliates to achieve a change in the benefits system to ensure anyone with an occupational pension is not disadvantaged in comparison with those only on a state pension.