22 organisations sign letter to Rachel Reeves calling on the UK Government to halt Winter Fuel Payment change
Independent Age says that “sudden change puts lives at risk”
Call is backed by campaigners who have emailed their local MP for support
22 charities have sent an open letter to the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, calling on her to urgently review the change to the Winter Fuel Payment for older people.
The change announced by Ms Reeves, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on Monday mean that people aged 66 and over who don’t receive Pension Credit or a small number of other means-tested benefits, will no longer receive automatic annual payments of between £100 and £300 to help with energy costs through the winter.
Right now, Pension Credit has a low take-up of just 63%, meaning up to 1.2 million older people who are eligible will now miss out on this additional support. Many more are just above the level of eligibility for Pension Credit but still can’t afford to pay their bills.
Independent Age, one of the charities leading the call, has launched an open letter today calling on the Chancellor of the Exchequer to not make these changes now while Pension Credit is not received by everyone it should be.
The charity also says the UK Government needs to make sure that everyone receives an adequate income in later life so that those who aren’t eligible for Pension Credit but still face financial hardship have enough to live on.
In the letter, the organisations say:‘Linking the qualification of the Winter Fuel Payment to whether an older person receives Pension Credit could mean up to 1.2 million older people on low incomes miss out on even more vital financial support.
“As a result, many of them will inevitably be pushed further into poverty.
“Restricting the Winter Fuel Payment this autumn does not give the UK Government time to significantly boost Pension Credit take-up to a level that would reduce some of the side-effects of this measure. It will leave many older people on low incomes facing a cold and dangerous winter.”
Morgan Vine, Head of Policy and Influencing at Independent Ageadded: “It is not an overstatement to warn that, in its current form, this sudden change puts lives as risk. Too many people on a low income now face an uncertain winter where their budgets are even more stretched and will be forced to make dangerous and stressful decisions.
“While we understand that the UK Government must make difficult decisions, this is too much, too soon. We urge the Chancellor to not make this change now, and instead ensure every older person has an adequate income to avoid financial hardship before removing the Winter Fuel Payment. Any less risks serious consequences for older people in poverty.”
Members of the public are being invited by Independent Age to email their MP to ask for a halt to the changes. They can do this by visiting this webpage.
Pension Credit is a form of financial support which ‘tops-up’ the income of people over State Pension age who fall below an income threshold of £218.15 for a single person and £332.95 for a couple.
Many of those eligible could also unlock additional benefits worth thousands a year such as the Warm Home Discount, a free TV licence, Council Tax Reduction and free NHS dental treatment.
To apply, visit the gov.uk website on Pension Credit, or you can visit the Independent Age website at https://www.independentage.org/get-advice/money/benefits/pension-credit or call the free Independent Age helpline on 0800 319 6789 during working hours for help with understanding whether you could be eligible.
Charity calls on Scottish Government to appoint Commissioner for later life
New report highlights just under three-quarters (72%) of those aged 65 and over in Scotland think the issues they face are badly understood by society
Almost 9 in 10 (89%) people aged 65 or over in Scotland support appointing a Commissioner
Despite wider scrutiny of the number of Commissioners in Scotland, the growing over 65s population shows that an Older People’s Commissioner is desperately needed.
The Scottish Government must appoint an Older People’s Commissioner (OPC) or risk people in later life in Scotland being ‘left behind’ according to a new report from national charity Independent Age.
The charity that supports people experiencing poverty in older age is calling on the Scottish Government to bring the nation in line with Wales and Northern Ireland, where older people have been represented by a commissioner since 2008 and 2011 respectively.
In the new report ‘We need a champion: Why Scotland should have an Older People’s Commissioner’ launched on 13 March, Independent Age outlines how the role could help older people across the nation and especially those on a low income. One in seven people – 150,000 individuals – in later life in Scotland are now in poverty, a figure that has risen in the past decade by a quarter.
The report was compiled through interviews with older people and organisations that work with them alongside Scottish nationally representative polling. The call for an OPC has also been backed by over 30 organisations across Scotland.
Recent polling commissioned by the charity shows that almost three in four (72%) of those aged 65 and over in Scotland think the issues they face are badly understood by society1. OPCs already exist in Wales and Northern Ireland and have taken the lead on campaigning about cross cutting issues that affect older people from all walks of life, from bus passes and care during COVID to the uptake of social security entitlements.
An OPC would be an independent voice for older people in Scotland, bridging the gap between the issues and needs of older people and the institutions that impact their lives, including the Scottish Government, local councils, the NHS, civil servants and businesses. They would ensure older people’s voices are heard, by advocating on their behalf and working alongside community groups to listen to the experience of those in later life.
The population of Scotland is ageing. Currently over one million people, or one in five, are over 65 and by 2040, this will rise to one in four people across the nation. The charity says that an OPC will help society prepare for this change, giving people in later life an independent voice and work across Government departments to ensure a joined-up approach to policy making. Polling from Independent Age shows that almost 9 in 10 (89%) people aged 65 or over in Scotland support appointing a Commissioner2 and polling from Age Scotland found that 7 in 10 (71%) of respondents of all age groups were in favour.
As well as ensuring everyone’s voices are heard as we age, the new report looked into three key problems affecting people in later life living in financial insecurity, and how a Commissioner could help resolve them.
An OPC could help lift more older people out of poverty
Polling commissioned by Independent Age found that one third (33%) of over 65s living on an annual household income of less than £15,000 can only just afford their essentials and often struggle to make ends meet3. Almost half (43%) of older people living on an annual household income of less than £15,000 are worried about not being able to afford food and drink when considering their financial situation over the next 6 months4.
Independent Age says that without a long-term Government strategy to combat pensioner poverty, it will continue to rise.
Research from the charity found that if Pension Credit, the top-up for older people on a low income, was received by everyone who is eligible in Scotland, an estimated 38,000 older people would immediately be lifted out of poverty.
Commissioners in Wales and Northern Ireland have led the way in driving Pension Credit uptake, campaigning to improve take-up by raising awareness and connecting older people with social security advisors. An OPC for Scotland could ensure advice and information about finances effectively reaches older people or bring together government departments to focus on increasing uptake of financial entitlements.
An OPC could help prevent fuel poverty for older people
Polling commissioned by Independent Age found that over half (59%) of older people living in Scotland on less than £15,000 a year reduced heating usage in their home over the last winter to help manage the cost of living5 and the latest Scottish Government statistics show that a staggering 36% of older households live in fuel poverty.
The charity says that rising costs across the board, including energy and food are squeezing people from every angle, there is often no room in older people’s fixed budgets to absorb these extra costs.
An OPC could advise the Scottish Government on how older people in financial insecurity can be helped to make their homes energy efficient, ensuring the Scottish Government also reaches its Net Zero targets. An OPC could also work with energy companies to ensure they are identifying and targeting financial support at older people on a low income who may not be aware they qualify for help.
An OPC could help with inadequate housing
Older people often have specific needs for their homes, such as a shower or a ground-floor flat. However, older people are often excluded from the planning and development of homes, and it can be difficult to find an appropriate home, especially on a low income, and this is sometimes keeping those in later life in unsafe, unsuitable or unaffordable homes.
The charity has heard from older people who are terrified of complaining to their landlord about necessary repairs and others who say their homes are freezing, damp and mouldy. One interviewee said that “I know if I complain to my landlord, it will get me nowhere but homeless”.
An OPC could ensure policy makers are informed about the housing requirements of older people now and in the future, making sure they build the right homes for an ageing population. They could also help support the elimination of discrimination against older people in housing issues.
Debbie Horne, Scotland Policy and Public Affairs Manager at Independent Agesaid: “Older people in Scotland have spoken: they need a champion. For too long, people in later life have felt like their issues don’t matter. The time for an Older People’s Commissioner is now.
“Problems for people in later life who are in poverty, such as being priced out of basic needs, including food and fuel, and living in insecure or inappropriate housing are going to get worse, not better, without someone who can listen to the needs of those affected and campaign for change.
“As well as being a voice for all older people, a Commissioner could ensure those who are seldom heard, like those in financial hardship, are considered when making policy decisions.
“We need an independent Older People’s Commissioner who can work with Government, engage with community groups and give older people a voice. Scotland’s population is ageing. And pensioner poverty is rising. Our society needs to change so we can all look forward to living well in later life. An Older People’s Commissioner can help.”
