Many pensioners are contemplating “selling up”, a charity head has stated, with the state pension not being sufficient to stay on.

Patrick Lynch, chief govt of Catholic charity Caritas, spoke to the Jersey Evening Post about shoppers of pensionable age whose state pensions couldn't cowl their Andium Homes rents.

Andium Homes is Jersey's largest supplier of reasonably priced housing, liable for greater than 4,700 properties, housing greater than 10,000 Islanders.

The Income Distribution Report, launched yesterday, revealed that multiple in 4 (28 %) pensioners had been residing in “relative low income”.

Pensioners remained the age group with the best proportion on this bracket of relative decrease revenue.

Mr Lynch stated the report was “stark”.

Pensioners in Jersey argue it is rather tough for lots of them to stay there as a result of the state pension isn’t maintaining with the price of residing.

Mr Lynch stated: “People of pensionable age form a large proportion of the people who attend the St Vincent de Paul and other food banks.

“We have been saying for a while, along with colleagues at Salvation Army, that it’s becoming very difficult for a lot of pensioners to live here because the state pension isn’t keeping track with the cost of living.

“There are a number of people who said it makes more sense to sell up and go to the UK or France just because they can’t afford to live here. Pensions are not going nearly as far as about a year ago or three years ago.

“These members of our community are making decisions which most would agree that people in those stages of their life shouldn’t be making.

“You should be happy and content and living the way you’ve lived your whole life. That’s not fair to be making those decisions. I’m talking about people who have lived here their whole life, but now they’re moving away because it’s just not sustainable.

“You can’t ask for extra pension. There are clients who receive a state pension that doesn’t even cover their Andium rents.”

The state pension within the UK will increase annually in accordance with the triple lock coverage, which ensures a rise in keeping with the best of two.5 %, common earnings or the speed of inflation. Current excessive ranges of inflation means that is the metric that can possible decide the rise for subsequent 12 months.

The present full primary state pension is £156.20 per week whereas the total new state pension is £203.85 per week.

Experts are predicting the speed of inflation will fall within the subsequent few months however even when it falls to 6 %, this could imply the total new state pension would enhance to £216.08 per week, or round £11,236 a 12 months, an annual enhance of £636 a 12 months.

If inflation is at eight % in September, funds would enhance by £742 a 12 months, or with an eight % enhance, funds would go up by £848 a 12 months.

For extra info on the state pension, pensioners can go to their Government.