Government Should Reinstate Earnings Link to Pensions

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 18th Oct 2007

Commenting on the £3.40 a week rise in the basic state pension announced today by the Government, Jenny Willott, Welsh Liberal Democrat MP for Cardiff Central, said:

"This token increase will do nothing to help thousands of Welsh pensioners struggling to survive on a pathetic state pension that is still £30 below the poverty line.

"Rather than relying on the incredibly complicated Pension Credits, which almost 100,000 eligible Welsh pensioners do not claim, the Government should immediately restore the link with earnings as a first step towards a decent state pension."