Yahoo News Pensioner Giveaway: Battle For The Grey Vote
A quick Google of "Ed Miliband on universal pensioner benefits" and the search results quickly suggest that Labour has been questioning their merit for some time.
"Ed Miliband: Labour will review pensioner benefits," reads a Daily Telegraph article from 2013.
"Labour considers curbs on universal benefits to pay for social care" claims The Guardian in 2012.
So why, the apparent change of tack? Why is Ed Miliband now saying he will protect free TV licences, free bus passes and the winter fuel allowance, for pensioners apart from the wealthiest 5%?
He will today make the "triple lock" pledge on state pensions, which will guarantee they increase in line with earnings, inflation or 2.5% depending on which is highest.
His will say: "David Cameron likes to boast he has looked after pensioners, but like all his other claims, from immigration, to the deficit to live TV debates, you have to read the small print.
"Because the truth is he can't be trusted to protect pensioners any more than he can be trusted on living standards for working families."
This is the same Ed Miliband who has expounded the dangers of the generational gap. That is the disparity between the baby boomers settling into retirement with valuable homes, final salary pensions and universal benefits and the young struggling to find work, credit and facing the prospect of being nearly 40 before getting on the property ladder.
Last month he said: "There is a risk that the next generation will find it harder to continue in education, have a decent job and own a home than their mothers or fathers."
The answer - simple politics.
As the General Election looms and the polls remain tight, Labour needs every vote it can get and it's the so-called "grey vote" that proves the most reliable.
Some 64% of those over 65 say they are certain to vote. Compare that to just 21% of those aged 18-24 years.
And so, even though pensioners account for 42.3% of all welfare spending, a figure that is only likely to grow, until the young start voting, politicians will continue to favour our OAPs.
