Pension increase of €12 promised by parties to secure the ‘grey vote’ in election

Both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are expected to promise pensioners a €12-a-week increase each year in order to secure the so-called ‘grey vote’ in the upcoming election.

According to reports, older voters will be key to deciding who will lead the next government and the coalition parties are focusing their efforts on securing as many pensioner votes as possible.

The state pension (Contributory) will increase to €289.30 from January following a €12 increase to the payment in the recent budget. Fine Gael are committed to increasing the state pension to €350 a week over the next five years if it’s returned to government after the general election, the Irish Independent reports.

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Taoiseach Simon Harris, who is expected to dissolve the Dáil and set a polling date this week, as branded the pension pledge his “Golden Year Guarantee”, the paper adds.

Fine Gael’s newly appointed social protection spokesperson, junior minister Emer Higgins, claimed Fine Gael is the “only party that has prioritised our older people” in government.

“Increasing the pension to at least €350 is a clear, unambiguous commitment that Fine Gael will stand up for our older people if we’re back in government,” she said.

This week, pensioners will benefit from a double payment of the state pension (Contributory), as was announced in the recent budget.

You can get the State Pension (Contributory) from the age of 66 if you have enough social insurance (PRSI) contributions. The State Pension (Contributory) is not means tested. You can get it even if you have other income, such as an occupational pension.