The number of older people at risk of poverty has increased by 55,000 in the last year.
Age Action, the advocacy organisation for older and ageing people, is calling on Government to benchmark and index the state pension to protect older people from poverty.
The CSO’s Survey on Income and Living Conditions shows that the number of older people at risk of poverty has increased by 55,000 in 2022 compared to 2021.
Celine Clarke, Head of Advocacy and Public Affairs, Age Action said the SILC survey has shown what Age Action has been telling government for years.
"Which is that for older people to live free from poverty, the pensions they rely on must be benchmarked and indexed to keep up with inflation and average earnings," she said.
Ms Clarke stressed that the €12 increase in the state pension announced in Budget 2023 is "below inflation" and that it was a "political choice to cut the living standards of older people."
She described the Government's once-off payment for older people, which came in the form of a €200 bonus payment announced by Government on Tuesday, as a "short-term solution."
"It does not protect older people from the effects of inflation going forward, including lost spending power on their pension that will add up to €1,242 in 2023," she added.
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