Charity launches new campaign to highlight the huge challenges facing many older people and how Age UK provides solutions

Amidst one of the most difficult winters many older people will have ever experienced, as they try to make their fixed incomes stretch to cover the essentials at a time when prices are soaring, new research from the charity Age UK reveals just how big an impact the cost of living crisis is having on many older people’s mental health and wellbeing.

The research, which was carried out in January, found that 9.6 million over 60s (60%) were worried about paying their energy bills, and 7.2 million (45 per cent) were worried about affording other essentials, such as food.

In addition, around half (49%) of those over-60s who took part in the research, equivalent to almost 8 million people in all, were worried about the impact of energy bills on their health. This figure rose to three-fifths (62%) of those whose income is £20,000 per annum or less (equivalent to 3.3 million over 60s); and to nearly two-thirds (65%) of those on a very low income and in receipt of benefits (equivalent to 1.6 million over 60s).

The Age UK study also revealed that 10% of the sample, equivalent to 1.6 million older people in total, had recently carried out a benefits check to see if they were eligible for any more money, demonstrating how concerned they were about making ends meet. 6% of the research sample, equivalent to about a million over 60s overall, reported having sleepless nights because of high energy prices.

The Charity is launching a campaign today to raise awareness of the huge challenges facing many older people, and how Age UK draws on its expertise to offer practical solutions and, just as importantly, a sense of reassurance for all those who are buckling under the strain of this unprecedented cost of living crisis.

Age UK’s national services are a lifeline, especially for older people who have no one else to turn to. The Charity’s free and confidential Advice Line is open every day of the year and has access to experts on a huge range of issues an older person may encounter as they age, empowering them so that they know what to do in their own situation, and helping them to do it. The specialist team of advisors are on hand to give expert advice, including finding out if older people are entitled to extra financial support. For example, during the past seven months Age UK’s Advice Line has identified over £2 million worth of unclaimed benefits, averaging an additional £4,468 per person. Of these older people, four in five (84%) were found to be at risk of fuel poverty.

The Charity also offers The Silver Line Helpline, a 24-hour service for older people who need someone to talk to, and a Telephone Friendship Service that gives older people the chance to enjoy weekly chats with a new friend.

Find out more by visiting www.ageuk.org.uk/know Older people, their families and friends looking for support should visit www.ageuk.org.uk/support or call the Age UK Advice Line on 0800 169 65 65. The Age UK Advice Line is open 365 days a year (8am – 7pm) offering advice on a range of issues, including benefits checks and obtaining additional support for anyone who is worried or struggling to pay their bills.

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