Iain Duncan Smith

Commenting on calls made by Iain Duncan-Smith for wealthier pensioners to give back their benefits, Age Cymru's Director of Influencing and Programme Development Victoria Lloyd says: 

"The Winter Fuel Payment makes a real difference to many millions of older people in this country.

"It is open to anyone to decide not to make use of these benefits but when it is suggested that 'wealthier pensioners' should choose to forego them our worry is that some who are badly in need of extra help will feel less inclined to take it: older people on very low incomes sometimes minimise their own difficulties and refer to others they know who are worse off than they are."