The full rate of the new state pension is currently £11,502.40 a year, while the annual income derived from the living wage for a 35-hour week will from April be above £22,000. We think there is a distressing discrepancy between these two figures.

We must not allow our senior citizens, who have contributed so much to our society, to struggle through their sunset years. We consider that it is a matter of fairness and respect. We all deserve a decent life when we get old. We believe that all pensioners must receive the equivalent of the living wage at 35 hours a week as a minimum. This could ensure a better quality of life for our country's senior citizens and help ensure that no elder person in our society has to face financial hardship.