General Election 2019: Tory and Labour pledges to lure older voters and those on benefits

Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn are setting out to woo older voters and those on benefits as the two main parties prepare for the formal launch of the General Election campaign later this week.

In an “end to austerity” pledge, the Tories are vowing to raise the state pension by 3.9%, up to £175.20 a week and worth an extra £344 a year, the largest increase for eight years.

As well as raising other benefits, the prime minister is also promising to make saving free TV licences for over-75s a top election priority and is demanding a showdown with BBC bosses to resolve the issue.

Labour, meanwhile, is unveiling a “warm homes for all” policy, including preventing 1,500 deaths from the cold and up to 560,000 cases of asthma caused by living in damp conditions.

Mr Corbyn’s party is also promising to bring the energy bills of 9.6 million low income households down by an average of £417 a year and eradicate fuel poverty, benefiting 1.14 million elderly people.

The battle for the support of older voters – traditionally the group most likely to turn out and vote – reflects the big parties’ determination to try to boost turnout in a mid-winter election in December.

In moves that would have been in Chancellor Sajid Javid’s cancelled Budget, besides the pensions increase, working-age benefits are to rise by the rate of inflation – 1.7% in April 2020 under the Tories.

Ministers say around 2.5 million people on Universal Credit will also see their payments from the benefit rise by 1.7%, in line with inflation, as will people still on benefits replaced by Universal Credit, benefiting more than 10 million people in all.

These benefits have remained at the same level since April 2015 as part of the government’s austerity drive to reduce the deficit, but now – weeks ahead of the General Election – the government is ending the freeze.

Announcing the increases, the work and pensions secretary Therese Coffey said: “We’re clear the best way for people to improve their lives is through work but we know some people require additional support.

“Our balanced fiscal approach has built a strong economy, with 3.6 million more people in work since 2010.

“And it’s that strong economy which allows us to bolster the welfare safety net by increasing benefit payments for working-age claimants now.”

Under the Tories’ proposals, disability benefits and carers allowance, which have not been subject to the freeze, will also increase by 1.7% next year.

Adam Corlett, senior economic analyst at the Resolution Foundation think-tank, said the announcement represented a “missed opportunity” that would not increase living standards.

“The benefit freeze was always due to end next year. The government’s confirmation that working-age benefits will only keep pace with rising prices means there will be no increase in living standards, and those in need of extra support will continue to be left behind,” he said.

“With child poverty at risk of hitting record highs, this is a missed opportunity to provide a much-needed boost for low to middle income families.”

On free TV licences for over-75s, the prime minister told The Sun on Sunday he has ordered officials to find a way to pay for the £745m-a-year perk and warned: “It’s crucial we do this.”

He has also demanded urgent talks with BBC bosses to thrash out a funding formula before free licences are axed next June.

More than 3.7 million pensioners face having to pay £154.50 to keep a TV after the BBC decided to have the free licence scheme means-tested.

But Mr Johnson told The Sun on Sunday he was working hard to thrash out a solution so that no elderly viewers had to pay. He said: “I’ll be talking to the BBC about how to sort that out.”

Also targeting older voters, Labour claims its warm homes for all policy will see the largest scale upgrade of UK housing since post-war reconstruction.

The party claims that by 2030 it will create 450,000 jobs by installing energy saving measures such as loft insulation and double glazing, renewable and low carbon technologies in almost all of the UK’s 27 million homes.

Mr Corbyn said: “If we don’t radically change course we face the threat of a hostile and dying planet. But Labour will turn that threat into an opportunity.

“We will tackle the climate crisis by putting wealth in the hands of the many not the few, with lower bills, more good jobs and better health.

“By investing on a massive scale, we will usher in a green industrial revolution with good, clean jobs that will transform towns, cities and communities that have been held back and neglected for decades.

“At this election, the choice is clear – we can either take action to protect future generations, or allow the Tories to help fuel our planet’s destruction.”

Shadow business secretary Rebecca Long Bailey MP added: “Warm homes for all is one of the greatest investment projects since we rebuilt Britain’s housing after the Second World War.

“Labour will offer every household in the UK the chance to bring the future into their homes – upgrading the fabric of their homes with insulation and cutting edge heating systems – tackling both climate change and extortionate bills.”

:: Listen to the All Out Politics podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker

According to National Energy Action, last year around 10,000 winter deaths were caused by ill health linked to cold homes. According to Age UK, most avoidable deaths were people aged 75 and over.

Upgrades to low income households will be funded by grants. These households will pay no upfront costs and will see their bills fall immediately after the work is done.

They will keep most of the savings on their bills, with the rest used to pay off part of the cost of the work.

Wealthier households will be offered interest free loans to improve their homes and lower their energy bills. Landlords will be regulated to ensure their properties are warm and energy efficient.

Watch Boris Johnson being interviewed by Sophy Ridge on Sky News at 8.30am this morning

(c) Sky News 2019: General Election 2019: Tory and Labour pledges to lure older voters and those on benefits