The BBC's social affairs correspondent Kim Catcheside reports on the schemes

He is attending the official launch of 28 Better Government for Older People pilot schemes around the UK, involving central and local government, private and voluntary sectors, and older people.

Richard Wilson, catchphrase: "I don't believe it!"

The pilot schemes will focus on improving public services in areas like health, social services, education, transport and leisure, and giving older people a voice and recognising the contribution they can make to society.

At the same time, the government is announcing plans to give pensioners a louder voice in Whitehall and a better quality of life.

An inter-ministerial group considering issues affecting older people will be chaired by the Social Security Minister John Denham and will include ministers from several departments, including Minister without Portfolio Peter Mandelson.

The Public Service Minister Peter Kilfoyle, who will be in the new group, said its remit would be to audit what the Government currently offers older people, liaise with the voluntary sector, and report to the prime minister before Parliament's summer recess.

Elderly have 'userful' role to play

One in five people today is over 60

The pilot schemes will run initially for two years, at a cost of £800,000, paid for by local authorities and the five lead partners - the Cabinet Office, Age Concern, the Anchor Trust, the Carnegie Third Age Programme and the Warwick University Local Authorities Consortium on Ageing Strategies. Further sponsorship is coming from outside bodies.

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Dr David Clark said the number of people in the UK over the age of 60 was set to rise from one in five today, to one in four by 2010 to one in three by 2025.

"The government sees that older people have an incredibly useful part to play in society as a whole," he added. We don't see it in a negative way. We don't see pensioners and retired people as recipients. We see them as participants."

There are 22 pilot schemes in England, three in Scotland, two in Wales and one in Northern Ireland.