Helping the elderly
Tackle pensioner poverty, urge MPs
BY ALEX KLAUSHOFER good authorities who are doing
Councils and central some very innovative things.
government need to do more to The message that we’ve learnt
alleviate pensioner poverty, is that you have to be proactive.’
according to the work and Automatic payments, now
pensions select committee. being piloted, could be one
Tackling pension poverty, answer, the committee said.
published on July 30, argued The charity Age Concern &
that the Department for Work Help the Aged, which has been
and Pensions should do more working with the DWP on
to encourage elderly people to developing the pilots, said it
claim pension credits they are would welcome a move to
entitled to. Local authorities automatic payments.
could also take action to ‘Ideally, we would like to see
increase the take-up of housing means-tested benefi ts paid
and council tax benefi t, the automatically to those older
report said. people who are entitled to
The committee said it was them. However, we understand
‘unacceptable’ that 2 million the diffi culties of moving to
pensioners were still poor, and
A friend in need: the Pension, Disability and Carers Service should work with
automatic payments where we
1.1 million lived on or below
councils to ensure housing benefi t claimants are also claiming pension credit
have a system that sets out
half the median income. entitlements to fi nancial help
‘Local authorities need to rolled out nationally,’ the report housing and council tax benefi t down to the last penny,’ said
work much more closely with said. is falling. The PDCS also needs Michelle Mitchell, charity
the Pension, Disability and The DWP should set targets to work more closely with local director.
Carers Service to ensure that to encourage councils to councils to ensure those Contacting people with an
information on people who increase benefi t take-up, the claiming housing or council tax estimate of their entitlement
may be eligible for pension MPs recommended. benefi t are also claiming and a request for further
credit, housing benefi t and Committee chair Terry pension credit.’ information could be one
council tax benefi t is… Rooney said: ‘The government David Maddison, policy solution, she suggested.
exchanged in both directions. needs to develop new and consultant for the Local Britain’s pensioners are the
‘This is not done at present innovative programmes to lift Government Association, said: fourth poorest in Europe,
and we recommend that this be pensioners out of poverty. ‘There is a lot being done lagging behind countries such
trialled in some local Take-up of pension credit has already – you can always do as Romania, new European
authorities and, if successful, plateaued while take-up of more. There are some very Union fi gures show.
Councils are backing £1bn jobs scheme for young people
BY ALEX KLAUSHOFER have been announced, of job creation will help to not a substitute for real jobs.’
Council representatives have which 62 were council-led. generate jobs and get local Work and Pensions
given a thumbs-up to a Th ey are expected to create economies moving.’ Secretary Yvette Cooper said:
government initiative to create 47,000 jobs for 18 to 24-year- Th e scheme is part of the ‘We will not lose another
public sector jobs for young olds who have been out of Backing Young Britain generation to worklessness.
people. work for more than a year. campaign, launched on July 29, From next year, every person
Under the fi rst initiative Local Government which calls on employers to under 25 who has been out of
from the £1bn Future Jobs Association vice-chair Sir give young people a job, work for a year will have to
Fund, announced in the Jeremy Beecham said: ‘Town training or work experience. take a job, training, or work
Budget, councils and charities halls have been at the Unison general secretary experience place.’
will receive funds to create forefront of helping people Dave Prentis welcomed the
‘socially useful jobs’, such as through the recession and announcement. ‘Unison will be Weblink For more on
carers and teaching assistants. giving a boost to local working to make sure that
this story go to:
publicfi nance.co.uk/news
PHOTO: REPORT DIGITAL So far, 117 successful bids businesses. Th e fund for local schemes are good quality, and
wwwww.w.publicfipublicfifi nancenancee..coco.u.uukk JULY 31–AUGUSY 3131–AUGUSTT 6 2009 6 6 2009 PUBLLIIC C FINANNANCECE 9
PPFjul31p9.indd 9Fjul31p9.indd 9 229/7/09 19:53:509/7/09 19:53:50
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32