Older people need security, dignity and opportunity - Dodds

Finance Minister Nigel Dodds today acknowledged Northern Ireland's older people as an important resource and one the Executive is committed to nurture.

He was speaking at Belfast City Council's Senior Citizens' Convention, at the Waterfront Hall where he highlighted the need for older people to have security, dignity and opportunity.

The Minister referred to the decrease in mortality rates, with the projection that by 2050, almost 45% of the population in Northern Ireland will be over 50.

Mr Dodds said: "Right across Northern Ireland, there are older people who, every day, are making a real difference in their communities - contributing to family life in all its guises, caring for other older people, and looking after grandchildren. We have older people who run marathons, have become brilliant “silver surfers”, do wonderful volunteering work, who take up new education and training courses and many who have, rightly, developed the skills and confidence to tackle ministers and officials to achieve change and improvement in service provision."

The Minister acknowledged that the current economic climate can cast a particular shadow for older people and highlighted the range of ongoing help that has been provided since devolution.

He said: "A number of changes have been made to the rating system in the past few years to try and ease the burden for households. Many of these improvements have been targeted at older people. The regional rate was not increased last year or this year and will be frozen again next year too. As well as this, the Executive has decided to defer the introduction of water charges.

"A range of specific rating measures have also been introduced, specifically targeted at older people. Under the rate relief scheme, for example, the amount of savings that pensioners can hold and still receive relief has been increased from £16,000 to £50,000. The personal allowances within the scheme for pensioners have also been enhanced, making it easier for this group of ratepayers to become eligible for support. This means that pensioners here are able to receive more help with their rate bills than their counterparts elsewhere in the UK would do under the council tax benefit system.

"The lone pensioner allowance scheme has also been introduced, which is not means tested. Anyone aged 70 or over who lives on their own can claim a 20% discount on their rates bills. This has proved to be a popular scheme and, to date, around £3million has been awarded to households in Northern Ireland."

Mr Dodds also referred to a new scheme he hopes to announce soon which will allow pensioners, if they so choose, to defer payment of their rate bills until they have sold their property.

The Minister added: "Our collective responsibility, working in partnership with others in the public and voluntary sectors, many of whom are represented in today's programme, is not just to help older people to get by, to help them thrive, to have security, dignity and opportunity."

Notes to Editors:

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