Charity boss criticizes axing free TV licences for pensioners

A charity boss has criticised a proposal by the House of Lords that suggested axing free television licenses for pensioners.

Heather Osborne, chief executive of Age UK Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin, revealed that there are 18,000 pensioners living in poverty in Shropshire.

She said 10,000 also suffer from isolation and loneliness and called the suggestion “impossible” for many older people to deal with.

The House of Lords suggested ministers should focus on spending money on training and housing young people rather than benefits like free TV licenses.

But Ms Osborne criticised the plans, saying: “One in six pensioners are living in poverty in the UK, that’s over 18,000 in Shropshire.

“Paying a hefty extra bill would simply be impossible when many older people are struggling to pay for their heating and food bills.

“Overlay that with an estimated 10,000 older people suffering from isolation and loneliness in the county, the TV is sometimes the only means in which older people gain enjoyment and entertainment.

“It triggers imagination and raises curiosity about the world around us.”

Age UK Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin is a member of the local Wellbeing and Independence Partnership, along with Shropshire Council.

Lord True, chairman of the committee on intergenerational fairness, said failing to rebalance policies could risk the “strong bond” between the generations.

The committee – made up of Labour, Tory, Liberal Democrat and crossbench peers – issued a raft of recommendations, both to “retain the supportive relationship between generations” and to plan for the “100-year life” that younger people can expect to become the norm.

Conservative peer Lord True said: “Both young and older people recognise the contribution the other makes and the challenges they face.

“However, there is a risk that those connections could be undermined if the government does not get a grip on key issues such as access to housing, secure employment and fairness in tax and benefits.”

According to its report, many pensioner households are now, on average, better off than their working age counterparts, both in terms of income after housing costs and overall household wealth.

But David Sinclair, director of the International Longevity Centre, said policymakers had failed the young.

He said: “Our approach to public policy at the moment risks pitching younger against older people and inadvertently and unhelpfully undermining the intergenerational contract.

“Today’s young are tomorrow’s older people.”