SOCIAL care, the health system and pensions were just some of the hot topics at a political hustings geared towards the older generation.

Age UK hosted the event at Bradford's City Hall yesterday, where opponents from five major parties were quizzed by the audience on a range of subjects.

Many of the questions centred on health and social care, with audience members bringing up 15-minute so-called 'flying' homecare visits, systems to look after people with dementia and feeling like they lacked a voice as NHS patients.

Jason Smith, standing in Bradford South for Ukip, accused Bradford Council of getting its priorities wrong, by stumping up cash for City Park and a cycle superhighway to Leeds when people were getting social care visits lasting only 15 minutes.

He said: "I find this to be very disturbing, but no-one else seems to be bothered."

Kevin Warnes, the Green party candidate for Shipley, said he had empathised with the Labour-led council as it made cuts to social care, faced with a dwindling budget from the Government.

He said: "I have watched these people make unbelievably difficult decisions."

And he said projects like City Park and cycle lanes were from completely different budgets to social care, and that Mr Smith would be making "a huge mistake to confuse the two".

David Ward, Liberal Democrat candidate for Bradford East, said social care was being cut up and down the country and needed to be given far greater priority.

He said: "The big question is why? Why is it that we as a nation are under-funding it? The answer, I think, is it is a Cinderella service. It's almost like it's an invisible service."

Judith Cummins, Labour candidate for Bradford South, said: "It does come down to money, and the Coalition government has cut over £115million out of Bradford Council's budget over the last three years."

She said Bradford had been unfairly hit by cuts, compared to the Conservative heartland in the south of England.

And Tanya Graham, Conservative candidate for Bradford South, said: "We have had to make savings and efficiencies throughout the whole country."

She rejected claims that Bradford Council had bee unfairly hit by cuts, saying that in the past, "Labour councils like this received a lot more money than other councils".