Government cut in spending on income support for poorer pensioners can lead to an increased rate of mortality among the vulnerable adults over the age of 85 says a study. Poorer older age adults are one of the most vulnerable groups in the population and a reduction of just a few pounds could make a considerable difference to disposable income said lead researcher Rachel Loopstra from University of Oxford. To examine whether budgetary reductions in pension credit and social care is associated with rise in mortality rates among pensioners aged 85 and over the researchers analysed mortality statistics for 324