Dugdale attacks PM over ‘chaotic’ and ‘humiliating’ U-turn on social care costs

By Catriona Webster22nd May 2017News ScotlandGeneral Election, Government / Politics, News Scotland, Older People, Social Care

The Tories pose a “shambolic threat” to the income of pensioners, Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale has said.

Ms Dugdale attacked Prime Minister Theresa May for a “chaotic” and “humiliating” U-turn over capping the costs elderly people could face when paying to be looked after.

That combined with Conservative plans to end the triple-lock protection for the state pension and the means testing of winter fuel payments created a “triple whammy” for pensioners, she said.

Ms Dugdale said that in contrast a Labour government would invest more in social care, boosting the money available for Scotland, as well as protect the incomes of one million Scottish pensioners by keeping the triple lock.

She said: “Pensioners across the UK are being hit by a Tory triple whammy. The social care chaos of recent days shows that far from providing strong and stable leadership, the Tories are nothing but a shambolic threat to the income of millions of pensioners.

“The last Labour government lifted 110,000 pensioners out of poverty in Scotland alone, and many more across the whole of the UK.

“Theresa May’s plan to scrap the winter fuel payment for millions of people in England won’t tackle pensioner poverty, it will make things worse across the entire UK.

“As a pro-Union party, Labour cares about pensioners in England as well as Scotland and only a Labour government will retain the winter fuel payment across the whole of the UK.”

She added: “The Tories can’t be trusted to support our pensioners.

“On June 8 pensioners can vote for Labour to secure the triple lock, protect the winter fuel payments and stop the Tories’ savage cuts.”