National lobby demands decent state pension for all generations

Britain's pensioner and trade union movements are joining together for the first time to call for a higher basic state pension for the over 60s of today and tomorrow.

Over 1,000 protestors of all ages are expected to lobby Parliament, as part of a campaign organised by the National Pensioners Convention (NPC) and over 15 trade unions to mark the centenary of the state pension.

For the first time in 100 years, working age and retired people will lobby their MPs together to stress that a decent state pension is an issue not just for today's pensioners, but for future generations as well.

The lobby will be calling for:

The basic state pension to be raised above the poverty level (£151 a week for a single pensioner)

The link with earnings or prices (whichever is higher) to be restored immediately

The state pension to be paid to all existing pensioners on a universal basis

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: 'This year we have celebrated the centenary of the state pension. It remains a key achievement, but its value has melted away since the link with earnings was ended by the last Conservative Government.

'This is why unions are giving strong support to today's NPC march and rally, and joining the call to give today's pensioners a decent pension and restoring the link to earnings or prices.'

NPC general secretary Joe Harris said: 'After 100 years of the state pension it's a national disgrace that at least 2.5m older people are still living below the official poverty line, and millions more are struggling to meet the rising costs of living. For decades the policy of successive Governments has been to rely on means-tested benefits for existing pensioners and good occupational pension schemes for future generations, as a way of avoiding paying a decent state pension. But this approach is unravelling - with means-testing remaining unpopular and ineffective at getting money to the poorest and many decent company pensions being replaced by insecure money-purchase schemes.

'Pensioners - both now and in the future - need dignity and security in retirement that only a decent state pension can provide. The Government should use the huge £46bn surplus in the National Insurance Fund and give everyone a pension that takes them out of poverty.'