Older people must stand up for their rights to ensure that impending cuts do not unfairly impinge on older people who are already struggling to maintain a very basic standard of living, Age Action chief executive Robin Webster told the annual meeting of the older people’s charity today.

“We must rediscover the energy and commitment shown last October over the over-70s medical cards to protect older people from the many other threats facing them in the coming year,” he told the gathering of over 200 members and representatives at Croke Park.

Already the Government had scrapped this year’s Christmas bonus for pensioners and Age Action continually receives reports of cuts in basic services such as home care and housing aids, he said.

“But life could get much worse with reductions in social welfare rates, the implementation of the Fair Deal for people in nursing homes, and the lack of protection for people who have lost their pensions and life savings,” he said. “Other threats include the Government’s plans for a property tax and carbon tax and their impact on older people dependent on the state pension who are already struggling to keep warm and to maintain their homes.”

During a lively debate, members voiced concerns about a range of issues including the over-70s medical card, the threat to the Christmas bonus, inadequate rural transport, insufficient community care services, and the Fair Deal nursing home legislation.

Outgoing chairperson Sarah Marsh said 2008 was a year “when a line was passed” and when older people made their voices heard in an unforgettable way. She expressed her pride at the way they protested last October at the removal of the automatic entitlement to the over-70s medical card.

“It is no exaggeration to say these protests shook a Government that believed it could take away a key entitlement from older people without a whimper from them,” she said. “They now know that older people are not a soft option and that older people expect to be properly consulted on any decision that affects them.”

The loss of the automatic entitlement to the over-70s medical card represented a major setback, Ms Marsh warned: “We may not fully appreciate just how bad a decision it was for some years.”

Ms Marsh urged members to continue to campaign for a universal health service that served everyone equally, regardless of income or age. “We must support those who are working on better systems that would do away with the unfair and damaging inequalities that exist at present,” she added.

Mr Webster said Age Action’s role was to analyse the Government’s policies and challenge those that unfairly impacted on older people, especially the most vulnerable. “There are older people who are really at risk on low incomes, living in poor housing, suffering from disabilities and poor health and with little or no access to basic services,” he said. “Many of the people at greatest risk are living in rural areas, facing increased isolation with the proposed reductions in rural transport schemes.”