NPC's Campaign! bulletin - October issue

Please find a link to the October 2019 issue of the NPC's Campaign! bulletin here (colour version).

It is also available in a print friendly version which reduces the amount of ink needed when the document is printed out. This can be found here.

ARMS at the NWRPA

Jan Short of the NPC and Angela Rayner MP hold up our banner

Steve Ion and Ray Beeton of NW ARMS attended a recent meeting of North West Regional Pensioners Association. Speakers included Angela Rayner MP (Shadow Works and Pensions Minister) and Jan Short (Vice President of the National Pensioners Convention).

Angela Rayner's speech puts her very much on our side as pensioners, whilst Jan Short appeals for evidence of wrong doings in the care industry, whether it be care in the community or care homes. This evidence is necessary to make our case to the powers to be!

'Scrap triple lock to fund social care' - NHS boss

Tony Mulhearn, Merseyside ARMS committee member, proposed this motion to the Merseyside Pensioners Association (MPA), who passed it.

This MPA expresses grave concern at the proposal by Simon Stevens NHS chief executive that David Cameron's administration should look at all the options for finding the billions of pounds needed to fund social care, including revisiting the triple lock, which guarantees Britain’s pensioners so-called 'generous' annual increases in their state pension until 2020.

He argues that one of the main questions in tackling the challenge of how to pay for and look after an ageing population was whether some of the money spent on increasing state pensions should instead be allocated for social care and also the government should be prepared to risk upsetting Britain's growing army of senior citizens by looking at whether the benefits they receive are fair to working-age and younger people.

Recognising that UK pensioners are paid the lowest in the European Union and the current crisis was caused by the bankers and financiers we condemn this proposal, and believe pensions should be increased and not attacked, and we deplore yet another attempt to drive a wedge between the young and the pensioners.

We call on the NPC to declare its strong opposition to this suggestion and resolve to contact our MPs and to register our opposition.

Chancellor offers "sticking plaster" on care

In last month’s Autumn Statement, the Chancellor announced that local councils would be able to raise an additional 2% in council tax in order to pay for social care. Since 2010, the sector has suffered £4.6 billion worth of cuts since 2010 - and campaigners argue this new plan will be nowhere near enough to address the crisis. Already over one million older people no longer get the help they need at home, staff turnover is high, the quality of care is sometimes questionable and there is a distinct lack of dignity. Some councils in poorer areas will struggle to raise sufficient funds and a wider postcode lottery in care will emerge.

Jan Shortt, NPC vice president said: “Anyone associated with the care system will tell you that it simply cannot survive without major reform and all the chancellor has done today it put a sticking plaster over the problem.” The NPC full briefing on the statement is available here.

Taken from the National Pensioners Convention Bulletin for December 2015. To receive copies of the Campaign! E-Bulletin - simply send an email to: info@npcuk.org.

Pensioner winter deaths reach 43,900 - NPC

The National Pensioners Convention (NPC) has called on the government to launch a new fuel poverty commission to urgently address the scale of annual winter deaths among the country’s older population. The call follows the publication of shocking official figures showing there were an estimated 43,900 excess winter deaths in England and Wales in last winter. The figure is the highest number since 1999, with 27% more people dying in the winter months compared with the non-winter months. This is up by 25,700 on the previous year and represents a 140% increase. The majority of deaths occurred among people aged 75 and over; and in total the figures represent 365 deaths a day or 15 deaths an hour.

The NPC highlighted the scale of winter deaths by staging a black balloon release in various parts of the country. Balloons were released by the NPC in Barnsley, Birmingham, Colchester, Exeter, Milton Keynes, Southampton and Westminster - with all of the events gaining both local and national publicity.

Dot Gibson, NPC general secretary said: "Officials have tried to say that the large increase in winter deaths is due to an ineffective flu vaccine, but even if that were true, it only accounts for a third of the increase in these figures. The truth is many older people are living in poor housing, unable to keep warm and frightened about paying their energy bills.

"We can’t go on every year replaying the same tragic scene; the government should set up a special commission to urgently oversee a programme of insulating homes, building more suitable properties for older people, raising the winter fuel allowance and tackling the excessive profits of the big six energy companies."

Taken from the NPC's Bulletin for December 2015. To receive copies of the Campaign! E-Bulletin - simply send an email to: info@npcuk.org.