Pensioners: More to pensioner poverty than heating

The Budget's package for older people has received a mixed response, with campaigners finding little to champion beyond an effort to tackle fuel poverty.

Help the Aged said the 2008 Budget "simply hasn't delivered enough" for older people amid rising inflation.

Spokesman Mervyn Kohler said Alistair Darling had made just a "cursory mention" of older people in a Budget focused on families and children.

He said: "Fuel bills, water rates, council tax and even food and other basics are all increasing way beyond the pitiful rises in the basic state pension and Pension Credit.

"As a result, more older people will face tough choices over the course of this year when what was hoped for was genuine action on pensioner poverty."

Mr Kohler said the one-off increase to the winter fuel allowance was "little more than a sticking plaster" and it was a "badge of shame" that the chancellor had not done more to tackle fuel poverty.

Both Help the Aged and Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) criticised the government for doing nothing to tackle the lack of benefit take-up by older people, with between £2.5 billion and £4 billion of benefits going unclaimed each year.

The CAB's Teresa Perchard said: "Often this is because the systems are not properly integrated – one government department deals with tax credits and local councils deal with housing and council tax benefit – or staff on the frontline in government services just do not tell people about all their entitlements."

But overall the CAB was more positive about the Budget, saying it would help put "more money in the pockets of people with the lowest incomes".