The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has suggested that proposals outlined in a new report concerning ways that government could reduce its spending by £50 billion would hit pensioners hard.
According to the TaxPayers’ Alliance and Institute of Directors, there are 32 ways in which the money could be saved in 2010/11.
One proposal made by the organisations was to put a year-long pay freeze on the state pension, which could leave many people in retirement needing a financial boost from an equity release scheme to cope with inflation.
Brendan Barber from the TUC said that "we should be grateful" as the groups have spelt out "exactly who the victims of public expenditure cuts will be".
"They explode the idea that cuts can be just painless efficiency savings and reveal that the victims will be pensioners, children, students, the poor and parents," he added.
Among the other suggestions made to cut spending were the abolition of free TV licenses and targeted spending on free bus passes.
Reducing the size of the civil service by ten per cent and a one year pay freeze in the public sector were also recommended.
By Alison Stephenson 
