Budget aid for elderly welcomed
BURY Age Concern has welcomed last week's Budget when the Chancellor changed the rules for pensioners in hospital.
It has also hailed the increase in the winter fuel payment for the over 80s and changes to the New Deal system to help older people to go back to work again without being financially penalised.
A spokesman for Age Concern said: "We are delighted that the government has scrapped the unfair rule which cuts older people's pensions and benefits when they go into hospital.
"This is a victory for Age Concern and will be a huge relief to tens of thousands of older people who would otherwise suffer reductions in their pensions and benefits when they are at their most vulnerable."
It wasn't all good news though. Age Concern says that although the state pension and benefits have risen slightly, many people will be worse off.
This is because council tax bills are rising by an average of four times the rate of inflation.
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