LABOUR has made its pitch to the grey vote by stressing free TV licences and bus passes for pensioners will be spared the axe under a Miliband Government.
The Opposition has already announced plans to strip the winter fuel payment from the wealthiest five per cent of pensioners but its leader made clear this would be the only change Labour was planning to the universal benefits enjoyed by Britain's elderly.
His claim to have a "better plan for older people" followed David Cameron's promise to protect all pensioner benefits for another five years as the parties sought to woo the support of pensioners, who are more likely to vote than any other section of society.
Labour committed itself to keeping the so-called "triple lock" on state pensions; guaranteeing they increase in line with earnings, inflation or by 2.5 per cent, whichever is highest.
It also said it would to cap fees and charges on new products, enabling people to take advantage of new laws, which allow them to take money out of their pension pots.
"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," said Mr Miliband at a campaign event in Redcar.
He warned reforms to retirement saving were being introduced "without ensuring the proper safeguards against fraud and mis-selling are in place".
Insisting Labour had a better plan for protecting pensioners, the party leader explained: "We will act to protect savings by capping rip-off fees and charges on new pension products coming on the market now so that when people draw money out of their hard-earned pension pot, they have similar protections as they do when they put money in."
In response, a Tory source said: "Trusting Ed Miliband with your pension is like trusting a burglar with your house keys. Be in no doubt that if you're elderly, you will be hit hard if Ed Miliband gets into Downing Street."
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