Half of voters on polling day will be 55 or older 

Older voters will be the ones deciding who gets to represent Welsh constituencies in Westminster at this year’s general election.

That’s according to Age Concern Cymru and Help the Aged in Wales.

The charity says almost half the people in Wales who turn out to vote on polling day this year will be aged 55 or over.

Victoria Lloyd, Director of Influencing at Age Concern Cymru and Help the Aged in Wales says:

'There is no doubt about it - the older vote will be the winning vote in Wales at this year’s general election.

'Based on previous voting patterns and our ageing population, we expect that 47.5 per cent of people who vote at the 2010 general election will be aged 55 and over.

'We’re also expecting to see at least half the people who vote in 30 out of Wales’s 40 constituencies being aged 55 or over, including some of our most marginal seats.

'This is strong proof of the voting power of older people, the so-called ‘grey vote,’ in Wales.

'It is vital that anyone seeking election to Westminster can demonstrate that they will tackle the issues which matter most to older people in their area.'

Age Concern Cymru and Help the Aged in Wales is today launching a guide for candidates about the issues older people want addressed at the ballot box.

The guide is called ‘A new decade for older people Wales – the Age Agenda for the 2010 general election’.

It contains information about the areas older people told the charity they wanted politicians to tackle.

These include:

• Tackling poverty among older people through better state pension, automatic benefit payments and action on fuel poverty and energy prices;
• Equal respect for everyone by getting rid of age discrimination which forces people into retirement, drives up insurance premiums for older people and denies them access to health services;
• Supporting older people’s independence through reforming the care system; safeguarding disability benefits and that by ensuring health services treat older people with dignity;
• Safeguarding community life for older people by making sure our communities are age-friendly, that bus passes can be used for cross-border travel and that services such as post offices are accessible;