Pledges on elderly

Clare Haughey this week welcomed the SNP’s election commitments to Scotland’s older people, including boosting their incomes, improving health and social care, and tackling isolation.

On Monday, SNP Leader Nicola Sturgeon set out six key pledges for older people.

They include protecting social benefits, protecting pensioners from council tax reform and any rises to income tax, paying the winter fuel allowance earlier, providing resources for financial health check-ups, guaranteeing real-term increases in NHS spending and reviewing family law.

Ms Haughey said:“We owe an enormous debt of gratitude to our older people, who have not only worked hard and contributed to our economy but continue to make a valuable contribution to our families and communities, which is why the SNP has already done a lot for senior citizens. Only an SNP government will put their needs at the forefront of the next Scottish Parliament so that we deliver an even better, fairer deal for all our older people.

“During tough financial times we will continue to protect the NHS with real-terms spending increases, we will continue to protect key social benefits such as the concessionary bus pass and free personal and nursing care and will build on these gains of devolution with the new powers coming to Scotland.

“We’ll also ensure that low income pensioners are excluded from council tax reform and protect them from Labour’s plans to hike the basic rate of income tax, which would hit the pockets of half a million older Scots.”