A group of Islington pensioners had the chance to put their questions directly to Pensions Minister James Purnell this week, at a meeting organised by Emily Thornberry MP in Holloway.
The Minister - a former Islington councillor - came to speak at sheltered care home Hawberry Lodge and the next-door Drovers Day Centre, North Road, N7 about the Government's plans for pensions. Radical changes to pensions were announced last week in the Queen's Speech - the speech that sets out the Government's agenda for the next year in Parliament.
Mr Purnell explained how when the Government was first elected 10 years ago, they were confronted by terrible poverty amongst a substantial group of pensioners. Money had been targeted at this group - and the result had been 2 million pensioners being lifted out of poverty. Now was the time, he said, for the next stage - to go further by linking pensions to earnings, and making it easier for today's young people to enrol in pension schemes.
Brian Fowler, a lifelong Islington resident who lives in Hawberry Lodge, came to the meeting and cross-examined the Minister with a set of seven questions. Afterwards he said:
"It was good to see the Minister come to Islington and tell us what they're up to with pensions. The Government isn't perfect - but linking the state pension back in with earnings is a welcome step, and they've been getting a better deal for women pensioners and people who haven't got much."
Emily said:
"There are some radical changes to pensions in the pipeline. I'm glad that so many Islington pensioners got the chance to find out what the Government is proposing and tell the Minister what they think"
What will the new Pensions Bill do?
- Restore the link for the State Pension with earnings (in future the pension will go up in line with average earnings)
- Reduce the number of years it takes to build a full basic State Pension from 44 years for men / 39 for women to 30 years for everyone
- Raise the State Pension age over time to 68
- Make it easier for young people to get into a pension scheme
- Simplify both state and private pensions
