ISLANDS MSP SPEAKS IN PENSION CREDIT DEBATE

Na h-Eileanan an Iar SNP MSP Alasdair Allan today called for the UK Government to abandon its planned cuts to Pension Credit during a Scottish Parliament debate on the subject.

Pension Credit is a benefit designed to help low-income pensioner households. From 15 May onwards, newly retired pensioners will be barred from claiming Pension Credit if they have a younger partner, and will instead be forced onto Universal Credit. There are estimates that the impact of these changes on the average claimant will be in the region of between £5,000 and £6,000 per year.

Speaking in the Scottish Parliament, Alasdair Allan MSP said:

“It is clear that changes to Pension Credit are going to have a significant impact on mixed-age pensioner households when they come into force next week. For the UK Government to penalise people simply for having a younger partner is completely unacceptable.

“This is a benefit designed for some of our poorest pensioners, and they should not be forced to pay the price for the Tories’ ideologically driven cuts to welfare.

“The Tories must urgently reverse this attack on low-income pensioners.”