WOMEN PENSIONERS STILL BEING IGNORED - KEETCH

3.00.51pm GMT Wed 4th Feb 2004

Herefordshire's population is getting older, but the inequalities facing women pensioners are still being overlooked, according to local Lib Dem MP Paul Keetch.

The MP welcomed recently announced increases to help provide services for the elderly in the county, but said that there are more issues that must be addressed.

"The Government devoted a whole chapter of their pensions green paper to women's pension provision," Mr Keetch said. "But one year later we wait the Pensions Bill and it's all gone very quiet. Once again women seem to have been overlooked."

A report from the charities Age Concern and the Fawcett Society has highlighted the fact that women in pensioner couples generally receive a smaller proportion of pension payments, and that almost a quarter of single women pensioners now live below the poverty line.

Mr Keetch, who has already backed the campaign by signing a Parliamentary motion, has now renewed his call on the Government to take action.

"The Government still treat pensioners as second class citizens and women pensioners as third class citizens," Mr Keetch said. "The time has come for the Government to act."