Protecting older people

Conservatives launch ‘older people manifesto’

Today David Cameron is setting out part of that positive message of change by launching our manifesto for older people, inviting them to join the government of Britain. Older generations are the ones who have made this country great. And we believe they have a big part to play in making it greater still. That’s why we will:

• Protect key benefits – the Winter Fuel Allowance, free bus passes, free TV licences and the pension credit. And unlike Labour, we will not scrap Attendance Allowance or Disability Living Allowance for the over 65s.
• Provide a better basic state pension by linking it to earnings in 2012.
• Freeze council tax for two years in partnership with local councils, saving a typical Band D pensioner household over £200.
• Protect NHS spending so it has the resources it needs to meet people’s rising expectations about the quality of care they should receive.
• Scrap Labour’s jobs tax, and using the £200 million a year this will save the NHS to create a Cancer Drugs Fund – making sure that everyone has access to the cancer drugs their doctors think will help them.
• Get older people involved in new programmes of civic action and volunteering, at the vanguard of a new army of activists who will help build the Big Society.