Norfolk charity says there could be "significant pressure" on healthcare if pensioner poverty grows
The number of people living in poverty in later life across the UK could increase by 1.8 million in less than 20 years according to a new report
A charity in Norfolk is telling us we could see significant pressure on our local health services, if more's not done to tackle poverty amongst pensioners.
It comes as a report from a national group that supports those facing financial hardship predicts that almost one in four older people could be in poverty by 2040.
"She was surviving on cheese and crackers and making tea from the hot tap"
Adam Baker is from the Norfolk Community Foundation, based in Norwich, and told us about a local woman he spoke to recently:
"She was living in temporary accommodation and she lacked many of the basics.
"She didn't have kitchen appliances and she was surviving on cheese and crackers and making tea from the hot tap. It's important that those struggling seek out the help available."
"We can reverse this projection again"
He says more must be done to help: "Locally, we can make sure that older people have places on their doorstep where they can go, where there are people they can rely on to advocate for them and connect them to help.
"We can also invest in grassroots projects to help prepare for Norfolk's aging population now.
"In 1994, the number of pensioners living in poverty was at about 28% in the UK. But by 2012, this had fallen to 13%. That's more than a 50% fall from what was. We can reverse this projection again, if Government, communities and individuals come together to tackle this."
What did this research find?
The research by Independent Age from the Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (a consortium of housing policy institutions) projects that:
• If poverty levels among people aged 65+ continue to change in line with year-on-year trends since 2010, poverty among older people will increase from 17% to 23%. This would mean that the number of people living in poverty in later life across the UK could increase from 2.1 million to 3.9 million people by 2040.
• Poverty will increase more for older women than older men, going from 20% of older women currently in poverty to a forecast 26%. Women are more likely to not have had the capacity to save due to the Gender Pay Gap or time out of work due to caring responsibilities.
• Poverty levels among older people with a disability will increase significantly from 18% to 29% which compares to a projected increase in poverty in the non-disabled older population from 17% to 19%. Those with disabilities often face additional costs to manage their conditions, resulting in fewer opportunities to save.