Sean Moynihan, CEO of ALONE, talks to Noel McGuinness about their pre-budget submission which calls for an increase in the state pension in line with inflation.  He says that the charity has seen a dramatic rise in demand for their services in the last number of years, with older people increasingly turning to them for help in relation to housing, financial worries, isolation and loneliness.  Recent budgets have seen a continuous erosion of essential services and benefits for older people and there has also been an increase in charges and the general cost of living.  He says that currently the lowest state pension is almost Eur1000 below the poverty threshold and that there is a real need for the government to act now to ensure the most vulnerable are protected.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (14.4MB)

Subscribe: RSS