'Grey army' can achieve real change in North, claims pensioner partnership

Pensioners in the North are poised to become a thorn in the side of government as they increasingly find their voice, it was claimed today.

The Changing Ageing Partnership (CAP) is highlighting how political lobbying among older people has developed in Ireland.

Research shows their vision of older people with stronger informed voices, capable of challenging and changing attitudes and approaches to ageing is becoming a reality.

CAP – a partnership bringing together Age Concern Northern Ireland, Help the Aged Northern Ireland, the Workers Educational Association and Queen’s University – is holding a seminar at the university tomorrow (Thursday) to discuss ’grey power’.

Dr Nick Acheson from the School of Policy Studies at the University of Ulster, said: “In Northern Ireland social care services remain under-funded and hard to access and as a population ages, local pensioner groups are set to become a constant thorn in the side of politicians as the debate heats up about pensioners and health care.”

Many thousands of pensioners who participate in local pensioners’ groups largely focus on local and personal concerns when campaigning for change.

But CAP plans to throw light on the development of older people lobbying decision makers around broader issues of ageing in Ireland.

It points to the success of mass demonstrations by pensioners in Ireland, which forced the Government to change its budget policy.