Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis promised pensioners yesterday that his government is putting together a plan that will introduce a minimum pension in a move aimed at raising the living standards of the elderly.

“This is another move in the direction of dignified living for pensioners whose income is currently below the poverty line. Regarding this issue, announcements will be made in the coming period by the finance and labor ministers,” he said in Patras.

No further details were given about the pension plans.

Other handouts promised by the prime minister included offering families with three children the same state benefits as those paid to families with four children.

This is expected to be implemented as of next year.

PASOK reacted to the announcements by saying that Karamanlis had lost his credibility with the Greek public.

After four years of being in office, the prime minister has today remembered the poorer members of the community, said PASOK president George Papandreou.