Responding to the Tackling Intergenerational Unfairness report published today by the House of Lords Select Committee on Intergenerational Fairness and Provision, Older People’s Commissioner for Wales, Heléna Herklots CBE, said:
“It is disappointing to once again see our older and younger generations being pitted against one another in the name of promoting intergenerational fairness.
“Whilst the report highlights a number of important issues that affect the lives of younger people – relating to housing, education and employment – the way to address these is not to strip older people of entitlements that make a positive difference to their quality of life and are often described as lifelines.
“Without these entitlements, many older people throughout Wales would be pushed into poverty, something that has already grown significantly in recent years, with people being forced to choose between heating their homes and eating, alongside increased loneliness and isolation and a loss of independence amongst older people, which has a negative impact upon both their physical and mental health and well-being.
“In the long-term, the proposals within the report would lead to many older people needing help and support from health and social care services, which would create spending pressures that could otherwise be avoided.
“The Committee’s report presents overly-simplistic solutions to what are complex problems, and whilst it is vital that people of all ages get the help, support and opportunities they may need to have the best possible quality of life, this will not be achieved by engaging in a race to the bottom to address the failures of successive governments.”
