BEFORE the last election Tony Blair pledged "if the Labour Government has not raised the living standards of the poorest pensioners by the end of its time in office, it will have failed".
Government figures show that 400,000 more pensioners are living in poverty than when Labour was elected.
Gordon Brown promised to end means testing of pensioners' benefits. Again, Government figures show that means testing is increasing enormously - by 2003, 57 per cent of pensioners will be living on means tested benefits. This is up from 37 per cent before Labour were elected.
Nothing sums up better Labour's failure to give pensioners' their due than the minimum income guarantee - 2.4 million letters were sent out, plus an expensive advertising campaign, 840,000 pensioners asked for forms.
These forms were 40 pages long. More than 180,000 people claimed the money. Under half were successful - 80,000 from an original two million targeted. Complete failure. Just another New Labour gimmick.
F D LANKESTER,
Byfield Rise,
Worcester.
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