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'Pensioners are eating dog food and sitting alone in dark - but the Tories won't help'
Financial hardship in later life is not being effectively addressed in the new budget, says Joanna Elson
'Pensioners are eating dog food and sitting alone in dark - but the Tories won't help'
Financial hardship in later life is not being effectively addressed in the new budget, says Joanna Elson
We all deserve certainty that we can live comfortably later in life (Image: PA Archive/PA Images)
As all eyes turned to the budget last week, there was a glaring omission – additional support for older people in financial hardship.
The hero policy of the budget, the two per cent cut to National Insurance, won’t benefit pensioners living on a low income at all and freezes to income tax bands mean some will actually be paying more.
Some may argue that the triple lock will provide enough support, as pensioners will see an increase of 8.5 per cent on their pension from April. But as a charity that supports older people in financial hardship, we know this won’t make enough difference to the people we hear from.
We are in the thick of it every day and hear firsthand just how the cost-of-living and poverty in later life is pushing people to breaking point.
After several years of rocketing price rises from all angles, many of those we support have been left with little ability to afford even the essentials. Yet, disappointingly, this week’s Budget was a missed opportunity to help them.
One woman told us she was skipping meals because her health condition means she has to keep her house at a certain temperature, and she can’t afford to do both. A man told us he’s been eating dog food because it’s cheaper.
And one caller said that she is using her phone as a torch, risking falls, and sits in the dark in the evening, because she is worried about the cost of turning on the light. These are just a few of the stories we hear from some of the 2.1 million older people who live in financial hardship in the UK.
Despite this, we are still fighting against the myth that all older people are living a luxurious and comfortable retirement. This narrative is not only unhelpful, but dangerous. Sadly, we know that for the almost one in five older people (18 per cent) across the UK in poverty, this stereotype is far from the reality and yet, older people are continuously left out of the conversation when it comes to the solutions needed to ensure that everyone has a life free from poverty.
In 2024, this cannot be right. With bills and inflation still high, people living their later life in poverty badly need long term, sustained support, from this Government and whoever makes up the next.
This doesn’t just matter for today’s pensioners, but for tomorrow’s as well. Recent research we conducted showed that many of those approaching State Pension age are struggling financially, with 18 per cent of people aged 60-64 living in deep poverty. This is unlikely to change once they hit their State Pension age. Instead, we are facing a surge in pensioner poverty, which has already been rising since 2012.
So, what can be done?
Although it is welcome that the UK Government recently reiterated its commitment to the Triple Lock, this is not a long-term solution and is constantly under threat. We are calling on the UK government to lead a cross-party review to determine what is an adequate income in later life. Until this is established, the Triple Lock must be maintained.
The Government must also ensure all eligible older people are receiving the money they are entitled to.
Take Pension Credit for example, which has the power to change lives. As well as providing a weekly top-up for older people whose income falls below £201 for a single person or £306 for a couple, those entitled can also access other important financial support such as Council Tax reduction, free dental and glasses and a free TV License for those over 75. In total this support can be worth up to £8,000 a year.
And yet, the most recent Government statistics estimate Pension Credit is not being received by a shocking 880,000 eligible older households.
We must now urgently see the UK Government announce innovative and targeted plans to get this money directly into the pockets of those that need it most.
Whatever the make-up of the next UK Parliament, it must make tackling pensioner poverty, which is at its highest level since 2008, a key priority. Studies have shown that not only does poverty have a huge effect on the wellbeing of the person in it, but on society as a whole.
For example, research commissioned by Independent Age showed that in a year where 40% of eligible people did not receive their Pension Credit, the Government could have spent around £4 billion that year in increased NHS and social care costs. So, lifting older people out of poverty would actually save everyone money.
But it’s more than that.
Living in financial hardship is an awful way to live. It’s not the later life that any of us dream about. We all deserve certainty that we can live comfortably, not scrimping and cutting back to barely get by. Change is needed, and people in later life can’t wait.
https://www.express.co.uk/comment/expresscomment/1875612/pensioner-poverty-spring-budget
Velika Britanija nekada najveca sila sveta polako po standardu ide ispod Afrike.
Toliko su bedni , da zbog uvodjenja sankcija Rusiji nemaju vecina penzionera novca da plate grejanje i kupe normalnu hranu pa tako sede u mraku na -10 i jedu hranu za kerove jer za drugo nemaju.
Britanska vlada je ukinula pomoc za penzionere sa malim penzijama tako da zive najbednije moguce.
Od kako je britanska vlada krenula u rat protiv Rusije cene hrane, struje i grejanja su otisle u nebo i mnogi penzioneri zive u strasnim uslovima.
Da li tako nesto zelite da zadesi i Srbiju?
Struja u bugarskoj je vec poskupela cak 10-12 puta od kako su Bugari sebe uskratili od ruske energije.
