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 | | Thursday, 22 November, 2001, 17:23 GMT 'Third age service' for old people  Older people will be able to get advice and help in their homes The government has outlined more details about a scheme which aims to become a 'one stop shop' for advice on pensions for younger people, as well as practical help for pensioners. Pensions Minister Ian McCartney told the National Association of Pension Funds conference on Thursday of plans to create an integrated "Third Age Service" involving a range of government departments. The Department for Work and Pensions is set in April to introduce the Pensions Service, which will - at home, in drop-in-centres or over the telephone - provide help with claiming benefits and services. A Cabinet Office sub-committee has now been formed, under the stewardship of Alistair Darling, social security secretary, to promote co-operation across government departments in expanding the service. Third age Mr McCartney told the conference that he wanted an integrated "third age service" across Whitehall.
The government should become an "ambassador for older people" and provide a "single gateway access for local services within the next five or 10 years", he said. Mr McCartney also revealed that the long awaited draft legislation for the Pension Credit, which will guarantee a minimum income of �100 for pensioners, will be published within the next few weeks. He said he hoped that it would be seen as a "far less complex system" than that governing the minimum income guarantee. | | See also:  Internet links: The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites Top Business stories now:  Links to more Business stories are at the foot of the page. | |||||||||||||||||||||
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