Increased Income for Ex-Service Pensioners

Private Members’ Business – in the Northern Ireland Assembly at 6:15 pm on 16 June 2009.

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Photo of Francie Molloy Francie Molloy Sinn Féin 6:15, 16 June 2009

The Business Committee has agreed to allow up to one hour and 30 minutes for the debate. The proposer will have 10 minutes in which to propose and 10 minutes in which to make a winding-up speech. All other Members who wish to speak will have five minutes.

Photo of Jim Shannon Jim Shannon DUP

I beg to move

That this Assembly supports the campaign by the Royal British Legion and Age Concern to increase the income of ex-service pensioners who are living on an income below the minimum required for healthy living; and calls on the Minister for Veterans to implement the reforms proposed in the campaign.

I seek the Assembly’s support for an increased income for ex-service pensioners. It is an important issue. In my constituency, I am well known for my support for the troops by word and deed, and through practicalities, too. I offer heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association’s (SSAFA) “Big Brew Up” morning. That organisation supports soldiers, airmen, naval personnel and their families. Last year, we raised more than £1,000 for servicemen and their families, and we intend to do the same this year. I may be engaging in a PR exercise by telling people that we want to raise more than £1,000 in October 2009.

My support for the troops is ongoing, and it has always been in my heart. I pray for our troops daily, and when I read what has been done wrong on or could be done better off the battlefield, I seek ways to help, and that is why I tabled the motion. For that reason, I have lobbied for them many times, wearing my other hat as a local councillor. I, along with others, have lobbied successfully for the amount of compensation that troops receive for serious injury. We have been successful with that.

I ask Members for their support for retired servicemen and servicewomen. That support is vital for those who have sacrificed much and who should not be forgotten.

Tha campaen wus lannched at tha Dig fer Victry exhibit in St James’s Perk London. It wus a sterk reminer o’ jist hoo deep doon millyins o’ British fowk suffered acaus o’ tha Secon Woarl Woar.

Tha Directar General o’ tha British Leegin, Chris Simpkins saed:

“We aw thoucht ratioanin wus histry. But we wur rang. Een’ tha Chanceler saes we er lukin at tha wurst tiem in oor economy in 60 yeer an aw this haes a crushin blau oan tha ouler fowk. Tha Givermunt must gee them aw tha supoart they deserv — in makin it eesier fer them tae cum fort fer whut is justly thers an gein theim a dacint incum tae be shair that aw ther real needs er met, tae keep budi an sul tha tither.”

A campaign was launched at the Dig for Victory exhibit at St James’s Park in London. It was a poignant reminder of the deprivation that was suffered by millions of British people during the Second World War. The Director General of the Royal British Legion, Chris Simpkins, said:

“We all thought rationing was history. But we were wrong. Even the Chancellor says we’re facing the worst economic time in 60 years and this has a crushing impact on the elderly. The Government must give them the help they deserve — making it easier for them to access their entitlements and giving them a level of income to ensure their basic needs are met.”

The facts are that five million members of the ex-service community are aged over 65, and they make up half of the UK’s 10-million strong retired population. In 2005, the Royal British Legion conducted substantial research into the welfare needs of its beneficiary group. It was found that a high number of people over 65 years of age reported being on no or very low income. More than 384,000 ex-service adults reported living on an income of less than £10,000 a year. It was also shown that many of our older beneficiaries live on very low and inadequate incomes.

In June 2008, a MORI poll conducted via a telephone survey of older members of the ex-service community on behalf of the legion found that more than one third of respondents find it either difficult or very difficult to manage on their current income. Some 38% are living on an income below what the Government have deemed to be the minimum necessary to meet the basic social, nutritional and medical needs for a healthy lifestyle, which is £7,072 for a single person and £11,200 for a couple. One in 10 respondents said that they had to go without sufficient food, and we all know people to whom that has happened. Some 17% said that they had to go without full central heating, and such stories multiplied throughout the winter and into the spring.

The legion and Age Concern believe, and I fully agree, that to assist older members of the ex-service community who are struggling on a low income, the Government should, through the veterans agency and Minister Derek Twigg, develop an automated payment system for rates benefit for older people; rebrand rates benefit to reflect its true nature as a rebate; remove the £16,000 capital limit for rates benefit for those over retirement age; make the statutory disregard of war pension income 100% when means-testing for rates benefit and housing benefit; work with the energy industry to provide a £50 fuel voucher to all pension credit recipients who are aged over 70; and exempt recipients of war pensions from means-testing for disabled facilities grants that are required as a result of service-related injury and disablement, a very simple measure that should be taken. Finally, the personal expenses allowance for residents of care homes should be doubled, which is a topical issue.

Although the list of needs seems to be lengthy, in reality they are mostly common sense and are not big demands. For that reason, the Assembly should offer its support to the campaign to ensure that our retired servicemen and servicewomen do not have to return to rationing.

As the economic crisis continues, it is the vulnerable who suffer most. As Assembly Members, we have a duty and role to protect and aid those who fought for us and who cannot now fight for themselves. We must now fight for them; how much more so for those who have stood and fought for our protection and aid when we could not have done it for ourselves?

I do not mean to grandstand, Mr Deputy Speaker, but the facts are that those people, along with our police and Fire Service, do jobs that you and I could not begin to understand or even imagine. What they have seen and done are things that we never want to see or do. For those people to have survived what they have only to be all but abandoned when they come home and retire is nothing short of scandalous. Something must be done.

Recently, the Ministry of Defence conceded that the complexity of the forms put many veterans off claiming their entitlements, and those who have filled in such forms for veterans will be aware of the issues. Many people are averse to claiming any benefits and are uncertain about their eligibility. Although there is a benefit culture, those people feel embarrassed to ask about benefits. I believe that they should be encouraged to do so.

In response, the Ministry of Defence has reduced red tape and has linked disability and carers’ allowances and pension credit so that claimants will be told what other benefits they can apply for. Furthermore, pension credit application forms can be used for Ministry of Defence claims. The Social Security Agency will pass pertinent information to the Ministry of Defence so that veterans who make a claim will not have think more about that matter. We are fortunate to have pension advisers in the Department for Social Development. I have consulted them in the past, and I am sure that many other Members have done so. They have been very helpful in indicating the benefits that are available to me and which ones I should apply for. Even if people are not sure about which benefit to apply for, pension advisers can give advice on benefits they might qualify for.

Among other things, thought has been given to the upper savings limit, although nothing has been confirmed. I believe that more can be done about that discrepancy. The Royal British Legion has fought for many years to ensure that veterans get what they have earned. The new policy is a major step towards achieving that goal. I am glad to hear that there will be less red tape and a lot more common sense. We all wish that that were the case every time we raise an issue with a Department. However, that is enough.

The Ministry of Defence has not answered the list of needs that I mentioned. Today, the Assembly has an opportunity to stress that those needs must be met and that structures should be put in place before the onset of another winter, when more problems will arise. We are all aware that pensioners — in this case, ex-service veteran pensioners — find it difficult to manage through the winter. The proposal in the motion is intended to help those people.

The Royal British Legion and Age Concern do tremendous work in improving the lives of elderly ex-service people, but those organisations can only do so much. The rest must be done collectively by Members of the Assembly, our Members of Parliament at Westminster, and Members of the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly so that we can make a positive difference to the lives of the people we are here to help.

We are fortunate to have the opportunity to represent our people at the highest level and to the best of our ability. I ask Members to support the motion, and I call on the Minister for Veterans to step up to the mark and implement the proposed changes as a matter of urgency. He must ensure that those men and women do not have to fight to survive a wartime winter, having fought and won their war a long time ago.

Photo of Mickey Brady Mickey Brady Sinn Féin 6:30, 16 June 2009

Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. I will preface my remarks by saying that I have a huge history of British Army involvement on my maternal side in the Boer War, the First World War, Second World War and the Korean War. My father-in-law, who lives with me, my wife and my family, spent 10 years in the RAF. I am not anti-veteran in that sense, and what I am going to say applies to all pensioners. I hope that Members will take the right meaning out of what I have to say.

The motion calls for an increase in:

“the income of ex-service pensioners who are living on an income below the minimum required for healthy living;”.

Those words stood out on first reading. Surely that wording applies to the vast majority of pensioners, whatever their background or previous occupation. Why concentrate on one specific group of pensioners? As Sinn Féin’s spokesperson for older people I advocate on behalf of all older people and make no exceptions, and I will continue to do so. As I have said on numerous occasions, the fact is that in the North and in Britain we have the meanest pension scheme in the entire developed world. That situation must be addressed on behalf of all pensioners.

Many issues impact adversely on older people. Fuel poverty is a scourge on our society. It affects many older people and can have a serious impact on their health, which directly affects healthcare provision. The rising costs of oil, gas and electricity leave many older people at risk.

Photo of Jim Shannon Jim Shannon DUP

I just want to clarify an issue. Age Concern — I know that Mickey is involved with it — has also supported the campaign, and the Minister for Veterans has accepted the specific campaign for veterans that has been identified by the Royal British Legion. We are not trying to exclude anybody, but a certain category of people has been identified as being under more threat and being in more danger of losing income. I feel that that has to be said.

Photo of Francie Molloy Francie Molloy Sinn Féin

The Member has an extra minute in which to speak.

Photo of Mickey Brady Mickey Brady Sinn Féin

I thank the Member for his intervention. I absolutely accept what he is saying, and I was going to address some of the issues that the British Legion and Age Concern raised later in my speech.

Approximately 200 older people die of cold-related illnesses each year, and I am sure that that figure includes ex-service veterans. That is an appalling statistic in any civilised society. Households headed by older people are much more likely to be in fuel poverty. Statistics show that 39% of those aged between 60 and 74 and 42% of those aged 75 and over are more likely to suffer from fuel poverty. Older people are more likely to live in older houses, which are less likely to be energy-efficient. Many older people live in accommodation that is in an unfit state of repair or below the decent homes standard. Surely, that needs to be urgently and effectively addressed.

A British Legion news bulletin dated 17 May 2009 stated that many older veterans are too proud to claim benefits. The legion found that one third of the ex-service community over the age of 65 have an income that is inadequate to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Again, I argue that that applies to the vast majority of pensioners who are living below the poverty line.

The British Legion and Age Concern are campaigning to increase the incomes of older people who are living in poverty. They say that the situation needs to be addressed by increasing the incomes of older people, and I agree absolutely. Suggestions include the exemption of war pension recipients from means testing for disabled facilities and grants and the doubling of personal expense allowance for residents of care homes. Those positive recommendations should be introduced for all pensioners.

A survey conducted by Age Concern and the British Legion in 2005 showed that a large number of people over the age of 65 reported being on a low or very low income. Some 75% of those aged over 75 were on a net household income of less than £10,000 a year, and Mr Shannon referred to that.

Age Concern and the British Legion have said that war pensions should not be taken into account for the purposes of means-tested benefits. That approach could also be applied to other benefits, such as carer’s allowances. Mr McNarry introduced a Carer’s Allowance Bill in the Assembly, which would have allowed pensioners to collect both a carer’s allowance and their pension. The Bill was put on hold, as far as I am aware, because a review of carers’ benefits was being carried out, and it has just been completed.

Realistic benefit and pension rates need to be introduced to enable our older people to enjoy an acceptable standard of living. Over £1 million in pension credit remains unclaimed in the North each week. That has been referred to by the British Legion and Age Concern.

Photo of Francie Molloy Francie Molloy Sinn Féin

Will the Member draw his remarks to a close?

Photo of Mickey Brady Mickey Brady Sinn Féin

In my experience, many older people do not claim such benefits because of a fear of the complexity of the system and because of a lack of information. Initiatives to improve take-up of benefits must continue.

Our older people should not be left feeling marginalised and isolated, as many of them do at present. We owe them all a debt of gratitude for helping to shape the society in which we live. We should never underestimate their contribution.

Photo of Tom Elliott Tom Elliott UUP

I congratulate the Members who tabled the motion. It is a very important debate.

Ex-service pensioners should be held in the highest esteem by Northern Ireland society and everyone in the Chamber. A number of the people about whom we are speaking today fought in the Second World War and were prepared to pay the ultimate price so that we could experience the democratic freedoms and rights that so many take for granted in the Province.

My party and I fully support the campaign by the Royal British Legion and Age Concern, because it seeks to raise awareness of the difficulties faced by many ex-service personnel and their families. The debate also highlights the predicament of many pensioners across Northern Ireland who, as Mr Brady said, struggle to stay above the poverty line.

Like much of Europe, the United Kingdom has an ageing population; as people live longer, the amount of money that they have to save to live comfortably into their retirement grows. However, countless pensions across the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland have diminished significantly over the last number of years. Many private pension schemes have closed, and the national pension scheme is widely regarded as inadequate, leaving large numbers of older people facing very uncertain futures in the immediate and longer term.

The rising costs of food and fuel, coupled with the recession and the credit crunch, have hit the least well off the hardest. In Northern Ireland, the proportion of elderly people with no savings is twice that in Great Britain. That leaves many pensioners and ex-service personnel in Northern Ireland living in poverty, which is totally unacceptable. Therefore, it is crucial that Her Majesty’s Government and the Executive give older people all the help that they need to access the benefits and rights to which they are entitled so that they have a level of income that, at the very least, ensures that their basic needs are met.

In the main, the British Legion’s campaign focuses on veterans of the Second World War and national service, their spouses, widows and widowers. Over five million people from the ex-service community are thought to be of pensionable age, and a further 1·3 million people are nearing it. A survey conducted by MORI found that 38% of veterans exist on an income lower than what is considered necessary for a healthy lifestyle — £7,072 per annum, or £136 a week, for a single person and £11,200 for a couple. Research also found that 15% of people go without full central heating, and 10% do not have enough money to buy food that is considered necessary for a healthy lifestyle. No pensioners, especially ex-service personnel, deserve to live in poverty, and it is no way for our society to treat people who bravely defended the nation and gave us the rights that we have today.

I seek clarification from the Members who tabled the motion about the council tax benefit and how a rebate would convert to the rebranding of rates relief for pensioners in Northern Ireland. What discussions have those Members had with the Minister of Finance and Personnel about that? Some discussion on that issue may need to take place.

I strongly welcome making war pensions exempt from the means testing of disabled facilities grants. The means testing of disabled facilities grants suggests that the sacrifice of some people is worth less than that of others, which is clearly wrong. I also welcome the doubling of the personal expenses allowance for residents of care homes, which will go a long way to increasing comfort and dignity for many older people in care. I note and welcome the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety’s ongoing pursuance of free personal care for the elderly.

Although I agree with removing the £16,000 capital limit for council tax, the compatibility of that with Northern Ireland needs further examination, as the Minister of Finance and Personnel recently increased exempt capital savings on rates relief from £6,000 to £10,000. We must also do more to increase pensioners’ uptake of benefits to which they are entitled. I support the motion.

Photo of Mary Bradley Mary Bradley Social Democratic and Labour Party 6:45, 16 June 2009

I support the motion. However, while I am delighted that Age Concern has given its support to something like this, I believe that the campaign could and should be extended and made a blanket issue to cover older people in general.

The debate today will open a discussion which applies not only to ex-servicemen and women but to the older community in general. Many older people are paid meagre occupational pensions which just about push their incomes above the thresholds that would normally entitle them to additional benefits. Hence they find themselves in severe financial crises.

Almost 50% of the UK’s older people are ex-servicemen and women, and most live in care homes. When preparing for today’s debate, I was struck by the similarities to and resonance with other debates that have taken place in the Chamber that were based around older people and their standard of living or lack of it. The information on the British Legion’s website pertaining to today’s debate is strikingly similar, with almost 70% of those entitled to help with council tax, or in our case rate relief, not applying for it.

Approximately £21 per week is a common amount on which those pensioners have to live, and that is disgraceful to say the least. Some older people will ask organisations to help them check their entitlement to benefits, but many others will not share their information with anybody and will continue to struggle on regardless, sometimes not knowing that they are entitled to other benefits.

The plight of the ex-servicemen and women runs even deeper. Many require additional physical assistance like the installation of chairlifts or the reorganisation of a bathroom and toilet to make it accessible, because of an injury sustained during their service. Although they often must make a huge financial contribution to that work, they do not have enough money to live on, buy regular healthy food or run a safe and warm home environment.

As I said at the outset, today’s debate could be applied to each and every household in Northern Ireland where an older person lives. The bottom line is that they do not have enough to live on and maintain a healthy lifestyle. The only option open to them is to sit in the one room that they can afford to heat and stay as warm as they can. Furthermore, some older people cook and eat products that are out of date and no longer safe to eat.

Surely, it is time that we, as an Assembly, banged on the door of the Prime Minister and the veterans Minister to ensure an increase in the benefits for all older people, ensuring that those benefits are earnings-related and reflect the real monetary terms and requirements of today’s society. That is an honest requirement, not a request for luxury or free money.

Photo of Anna Lo Anna Lo Alliance

I support the motion. In general, our state pension has not kept up with inflation over the years, and therefore, many pensioners now struggle to pay their bills. Indeed, not all that long ago we saw the protests by older people at Stormont with their slogan of “Eat or Heat.” Surely, there is something that we can do; they cannot do without either of those things.

I attended a recent Stormont seminar where groups of older people came to ask MLAs questions. A repeated theme of the discussions was how complicated it is to access welfare benefits. Those benefits are money that pensioners are entitled to, over and above their pensions. Many of those benefits are means-tested, meaning that if pensioners hold savings they do not qualify. Many of the pensioners see that as being unfair, as they have saved for their retirements, yet they are penalised for state benefits which they have contributed to through National Insurance contributions during their working lives.

The Royal British Legion and Age Concern campaign is very worthwhile and deserves the support of the Assembly. Currently 38% of ex-service pensioners report an income below the minimum required for healthy living, and that is totally unacceptable. Those ex-servicemen and women fought for freedom for us all during the Second World War and endured severe hardship during and in the aftermath of that war. We must show them our gratitude for what they have done for their country. They deserve our respect and a decent income to afford them their dignity without having to endure poverty.

The campaign calls on the Government to address the issue by taking a few measures, none of which would appear to be particularly demanding or which would stretch Government finances. It is reasonable to request that an automated payment of council tax benefits to older people be developed and that council tax benefit be rebranded as a rebate to encourage older people to take up their entitlement. The requests that other Members made are common-sense approaches to help pensioners out of poverty.

When it comes to encouraging people to claim benefits, older people are one of the hardest groups to reach. They do not want to be seen as sponging off the system, and they often find the benefit forms too cumbersome to complete. Therefore, anything that helps them to claim their entitlements should be welcomed.

Photo of Lord Wallace Browne Lord Wallace Browne DUP

I support the motion, and I welcome the fact that the Royal British Legion has joined forces with the national charity Age Concern to launch a nationwide campaign that has the objective of increasing the incomes of older people who live in poverty.

The campaign, which was launched in September 2008, has received enormous support throughout the United Kingdom. Earlier this year, a petition with more than 25,000 signatures was presented to Her Majesty’s Government by Lieutenant General Sir John Kiszely, national president of the Royal British Legion. Although the campaign’s aim is to increase the income of older people who live in poverty, it has the specific objective of increasing the income of ex-service pensioners who live on an income that is below the minimum that is required for healthy living.

Indeed, 38% of ex-service pensioners are reported to have an income that is below that required level. I am sure that Members agree that that is completely unacceptable and is an indictment of how our nation treats those who have served our country unselfishly. It is also extremely disturbing to learn that many ex-service pensioners have, as a result of poverty, been forced to ration everyday essentials. That is similar to their experiences during and after the Second World War. Therefore, it is only right that the Royal British Legion and Age Concern are campaigning to increase the income of older ex-service members who live in poverty.

We have heard that research has shown that a significant number of older members of the ex-service community live on low or very low incomes. We heard from Members that the minimum income for healthy living is just over £7,000 per annum for a single person and £11,200 for a couple. Again, it is disturbing to learn that a recent MORI survey found that 38% of veterans and their spouses and/or widows or widowers reported having an income that is well below those levels.

The people to whom we are referring have made great sacrifices, and they deserve and, indeed, are entitled to have greater help. The current situation is unacceptable, and it is disgraceful that those who fought for Queen and country and to whom we are indebted find themselves in this position.

Although we, along with the Royal British Legion, welcome the Government’s decision not to reclaim overpaid pensions, we call on the Government to offer the necessary relief to veterans and widows who will lose out as a result of overpayments to the armed forces’ pension scheme. Those veterans and widows will now not benefit from the normal increase in their pensions. As the director of welfare of the Royal British Legion said:

“The overpayment relates to the Guaranteed Minimum Payment under the Armed Forces Pension Scheme. This means that those on the lowest pensions will be most affected by the Government’s error. This comes at a very difficult time for veterans living on low fixed incomes. The current financial climate means veterans are living on less and are unable to realise the capital in their assets. These are issues that have been raised by the Legion since the launch of our Return to Rationing? campaign in September and the Government now needs to address the ever reducing incomes of older veterans and widows.”

In 2005, the Royal British Legion reported that a high number of over-65s were living on low or very low incomes and more than 384,000 ex-service adults were living on an income of under £10,000 a year. For a number of years, I have had the privilege of regularly attending meetings of the Burma Star Association and have, therefore, seen at first hand some of the difficulties that face many ex-service personnel. Part of the problem is a lack of communication and it is, therefore, vital that the Government establish and maintain a database to enable all ex-service personnel to be kept informed of the available help and benefits. I support the motion.

Photo of George Robinson George Robinson DUP 7:00, 16 June 2009

Over the last few weeks, none of us could have been oblivious to the 65th anniversary of the D-day landings. The veterans’ stories are moving, and memories of that day remain vivid to the people who were there. By multiplying those experiences by many thousand, one can start to comprehend the scale of service that service personnel give to the United Kingdom. For that reason, we must ensure that our veterans are looked after.

Many ex-servicemen and ex-servicewomen continue to defend the freedoms that we take for granted and to bring those freedoms to other countries. They do not question the political reasons for their deployment; they just do their job. Is it unreasonable for us to give something back to the people who helped to defend us? Clearly, it is not. The Royal British Legion has made some practical recommendations in conjunction with Age Concern. The recommendations that are most relevant to the debate include the 100% disregard of war pensions for housing benefit and the 100% exemption of war pensions for disabled facility grants. Those measures target the ex-service personnel who are in greatest need of assistance.

Everyone in the Assembly has reason to thank those who served in two world wars and in many other conflicts. Many of us can trace our ancestry to those who defended the freedoms that we enjoy. Is it fair for us to expect those people to pay for disabled facilities simply because they have a war pension? I do not believe that it is. It is time that our ex-service personnel were shown that we all appreciate the service that they gave to their country.

Regrettably, the realities of war are being brought home to today’s young people as the repatriation of coffins is shown on the news. People such as Major Phil Packer remind us of the horrific price that some people pay for doing their job. However, such people also provide inspiration as they overcome the injuries that they sustained while serving their country. Our service personnel do an extraordinary job; therefore, the support that we give them should be extraordinary. The motion seeks to guarantee that ex-service personnel of today, and those of the future, will be given a little back by the country that they served.

I concur with the sentiments of the Members who said that all pensioners need our support. I congratulate the Members who secured the debate, and I sincerely hope that the motion will be passed unanimously. I remind all Members that our ex-service personnel come from all sections of the community. Those people deserve the respect and support of all Assembly Members. I fully support the motion.

Photo of Simon Hamilton Simon Hamilton DUP

Although we are talking about veterans’ worryingly low incomes, it is a privilege to talk in the Assembly about their valiant service. I am glad to honour our veterans for the duty that they have performed over the years on behalf of this nation and other nations in defence of democracy and freedom.

As many Members have said, the motion’s reference to ex-service pensioners could be substituted for a reference to pensioners in general.

As Lord Browne mentioned, it is worth noting that while the campaign focuses particularly on veterans, it mentions the plight of pensioners in general. Therefore, by supporting the campaign, we are also supporting the cause for raising pensioners’ incomes in general.

The reference to ex-service pensioners could be taken out of the discussion, and we could still be talking about something that is equally relevant to all pensioners. Ex-servicemen and women experience low incomes due to the complexity of form-filling, which is something that we all see in our constituency work. The forms are complex for many people, irrespective of age group and of whether they are veterans. However, they are particularly complex for elderly people. They find the forms very complicated and intrusive at times, because they contain a lot of personal information that, sometimes, they do not like to give because of generational concerns. They were brought up in a different way and do not want to give that information out.

There is a great pride, which comes through in a lot of the research. People of a certain age are very proud of that information, and they do not want to give it out. Equally, some elderly people do not want to be seen to be claiming anything at all. In many ways, that pride is probably deeper among ex-servicemen and women, because they have done their duty and they do not want to be putting a hand out, even though they are more entitled than they believe that they are.

Someone asked why, when the problems are applicable to all pensioners, we are specifically targeting veterans, but, I suppose, why not? Why should we not take a group of men and women who have served this nation and other nations valiantly down through the years and target their particular plight? If there was a motion before the House picking any other group of pensioners and highlighting their low incomes, it would have support from me and from everyone in the House. Indeed, I encourage Members to do that where they see particular problems, as we have done in the motion.

The particular problem was highlighted by the Royal British Legion and Age Concern campaign. Some 40% of veterans earn below the Age Concern figure for the minimum requirement for healthy living, which is £7,000 for an individual and £11,000 for a couple. Even that income is paltry, but to find a survey that shows that 40% of veterans earn less than that is frightening. We should target that group of pensioners in particular because of the service that they have given through the years.

We have all seen in recent times the great affection that is shown throughout the country for our veterans. I am thinking particularly of the recent Gurkha campaign, which was headed by Joanna Lumley. Those veterans were some of the bravest fighting men anywhere in the world, and they were being treated abysmally and shabbily by our Government. There was a public outcry against that, and Government policy was changed. Therefore, there is great affection for our ex-servicemen. The same vigour that was shown in the campaign to give the Gurkhas who served in the British Army the right to live in the United Kingdom should be shown in the campaign to increase the incomes of our ex-servicemen.

There is a particular onus on us to highlight the plight of veterans than there might otherwise be for others, because our Government sent them to serve their country around the world. Unfortunately, in many of the theatres in which they engaged in combat, some veterans suffered great injuries, which have made it more difficult for them to get through life and, particularly, through old age. Therefore, there is a duty on us to fight for all, but there is perhaps an additional duty to fight for the veterans because of the suffering that they went through.

Some Members, including George Robinson and Tom Elliott, hinted that when we talk about veterans and pensioners, we think of the greatest generation, as they are sometimes referred to, who fought in the Second World War. As I was growing up, veterans were, to my mind, those who had served in the fight against Nazi Germany and fascism around the world. However, there is now a new generation of future veterans who will become pensioners. Even in my lifetime, people served in the Falklands to free the islanders from Argentinean occupation, in the first Gulf war to rid Kuwait of Iraqi invaders and in places such as Sierra Leone, where servicemen from here fought valiantly to restore a democratically elected Government.

More recent examples include the theatres of Iraq and Afghanistan, where the battles are ongoing. Dare I say that another example is Northern Ireland, where the many local people who have served will become pensioners, at which stage they will have particular needs arising from the service that they gave.

We must be mindful that any changes made are not only for the benefit of the generation that automatically comes to mind when we think about veterans, such as those involved in the D-Day landings, as mentioned by George Robinson. We must also consider the future generation of ex-servicemen and ex-servicewomen who will be pensioners. It is a question, therefore, of correcting the system not only for those who are in the system now but for those who may be subject to it in the future.

Mr Elliott rightly mentioned some of the implications of the campaign for Northern Ireland. It is easy to say that the Westminster Government make changes without considering those implications. If the Assembly supports the campaign at a national level, the Executive have a duty to examine ways in which veterans can be helped at a local level through, for example, the rates system.

I encourage the Minister with responsibility for social security to consider ways to help. She may not easily be able to break parity on some benefits. However, if the Assembly fully endorses the campaign, perhaps she can raise the issue in meetings of various formats with her counterparts across the water and demonstrate to the Department for Work and Pensions at Westminster that the Assembly is supportive. Although the motion refers to specific benefits, there may be scope for changes to be made to others.

In the past couple of years since devolution was restored, the Assembly has done a good job in ameliorating some of the problems that pensioners face. The Assembly could always go further and, with infinite resources, massively so. However, the lone pensioner allowance that the Assembly introduced will be available to many ex-servicemen and ex-servicewomen. The savings threshold for some rebates and benefits in the rating system has also been changed to make those slightly easier to access.

I am happy to sum up the debate, and I am most encouraged by the generosity that has been shown throughout the Chamber not only to the veterans, although that is important, but to pensioners in general. I welcome the opportunity to speak on behalf of those who are on low incomes, particularly that group of veterans who also suffer. I presume that the Assembly will give its unanimous support to the motion and to the campaign that will highlight all the issues that face veterans and the wider community of pensioners.

Question put and agreed to.

Resolved:

That this Assembly supports the campaign by the Royal British Legion and Age Concern to increase the income of ex-service pensioners who are living on an income below the minimum required for healthy living; and calls on the Minister for Veterans to implement the reforms proposed in the campaign.

Motion made:

That the Assembly do now adjourn. — [Mr Deputy Speaker.]