Prime Minister Joseph Muscat on Tuesday morning signalled generous pension raises, saying at a rally that what had been given to pensioners so far was nothing compared to what was in store, in the interests of social justice.

Dr Muscat told elderly supporters that his government had already done a lot for pensioners, having raised pensions in successive years and removed tax on income from pensions. Still, he said, more remained to be done.

Some categories of pensioners, particularly some women, were at risk of poverty, he admitted.

More also needed to be done to help elderly people who could not live on their own. The elderly would be helped, as far as possible, to continue to live in their communities. It was in this context that schemes were being set up to provide financial assistance for the provision of carers.

All this, however, underlined the need for a strong economy and a healthy surplus. Those who wished to continue to work would be encouraged to do so, but those who opted to retire should have the means to keep up with the cost of living.