A charity that supports older people says limiting increases in the state pension to just €5 is simply 'unacceptable'.
The 'ALONE' organisation also says changes to the pension age should be voluntary - not enforced.
CEO Seán Moynihan says Budget 2022 should deliver on previous Government promises to set pensions at 34% of average earnings:
"I think every day of the week, all around the country, urban and rural, we're working with older people who maybe can't afford the upkeep of their house, can't afford transport costs, heating costs, and ultimately the state pension is below the poverty line. You need 40 years of stamps to get the full contributory pension. And on top of that, if anything goes wrong, if your washing machine broke, it's a week and a half's money."