PENSIONS AND AVERAGE EARNINGS

That this House welcomes the decision by the Government to restore the link between the basic state pension and average earnings, due to be introduced from 2012; recognises the importance of restoring the link between earnings and pensions in order to ensure that pensioner incomes do not fall behind increases in earnings and the cost of living, which would lead to increased poverty amongst some pensioners; and calls on the Government to consider introducing the restoration of the link between pensions and earnings earlier than announced in order to help pensioners, particularly those who are entirely dependent upon the basic state pension.