Elderly 'at risk of poverty'

The cost-of-living allowance is not enough to compensate for the increase in water and electricity bills, and unless the government gives compensation many people risk falling into poverty, according to the National Pensioners Association.

The association had proposed the minimum guaranteed pension be raised to 60 per cent of the National Median Income and the maximum be increased, but this proposal was not adopted.

Moreover, it had asked that pensioners over 80 be exempt from income tax.

Among other requests, it had also asked for the Hereditary Tax Law to be amended. To its dismay, the association noted that all these proposals had been ignored.