Tag Archives: Age UK

Fuel poverty statistics

Posted on May 23, 2013 by mervynkohler | 1 Comment

The latest annual report from the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) covers the year 2011 – many energy price hikes and policy changes ago. The headline is that in England, the numbers of households in fuel poverty fell, from 3.3m in 2010 to 3.2m (and in the UK from 4.75m to 4.5m). These are the households which need to spend 10% or more of their income on energy to keep adequately warm, a definition we have all become accustomed to using. But DECC’s report has turned into a statistical soup, as it struggles to introduce a new definition of fuel poverty (which measures two different things), and reports anyway on a year long forgotten.

For what it’s worth, 2011 was mild (for both the winter months at the beginning and end), and this led to a fall in national domestic energy consumption. It was also the last year when the (now abolished) Warm Front programme was operating at full speed – the tax-funded grant programme targeted on low income households – so energy efficiency improvements were driving forward alongside the schemes offered by the energy supply companies to save energy.

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Posted in Campaigning, Consumers, Energy, Energy Bill Revolution, Money Matters, Spread the Warmth campaign

Tagged #EnergyBillRev, #energybills, #fuelpoverty, #spreadthewarmth, Age UK, Age UK blog, Ageing, ageing population, ageing society, DECC, Department for Energy and Climate Change, energy, Energy Bill Revolution, Energy Bill Revolution campaign, Energy Company Obligation, energy consumption, energy prices, fuel poverty, Health and Wellbeing, home energy efficiency, money and benefits, money matters, older people, Pension Credit, poverty, spread the warmth, Spread the Warmth campaign, the green deal, warm homes discount

The impact of bus cuts on older people in rural areas

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Greg Lewis | 3 Comments

We have heard a lot lately from various politicians about the need to examine the universal benefits received by older people and in particular the concessionary bus pass. It seems that in the age of austerity, even something that has been so successful and proved so popular, is subject to review.

But it is not just the threat from government to withdraw the bus pass from all but the poorest, there is also the threat to bus funding from the imminent spending review. Cuts to bus services will hit the poorest and most vulnerable the hardest.

Older and disabled people have hugely benefited from free bus travel and often rely on public transport to do their shopping, get to their GP and hospital appointments and visit friends. Continue reading →

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Posted in Communities and inclusion, Government, Money Matters, Public Policy, Transport

Tagged Age UK, Age UK blog, Ageing, ageing population, ageing society, bus cuts, bus pass, free bus travel, Government, Government & society, isolation, loneliness, Money & benefits, money matters, older people, public transport, rural ageing, rural issues, rural living, the impact on older people of cuts to rural bus services, transport, universal benefits

Who would care for my Mum? Or for yours?

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Age UK | 1 Comment

Imagine that one day your Mum is at home enjoying her retirement. She has always been highly independent, fit and well. Until the day she has a stroke.

After a short stay in hospital she comes home. But life is different now. It’s much harder for her to do everyday things. She struggles getting in and out of the bath and even using the shower is a challenge. There are times when reaching the toilet is too much. You have to face the fact that she cannot manage on her own any more.

You do the most sensible thing. You get in touch with Mum’s local social services. You explain the difficulties she is now having. They assess her needs. You hope this leads to some carers coming in to give Mum a hand with those things she is finding too much, like getting to the toilet, washing and preparing simple meals.

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Posted in Campaigning, Care in Crisis

Tagged #carecantwait, #careincrisis, Age UK, Age UK blog, Ageing, ageing society, campaigning, Care Bill, Care in Crisis, Care in Crisis campaign, Government, Health & wellbeing, Health and Social Care, Later life, Lobby a Lord, Local government, older people, social care, Social Care Bill, social care reform, who would care for my mum?

Let’s Talk Money

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Age UK | 8 Comments

Welfare reform and the benefits system have been high on the news agenda recently, but an often overlooked issue is the persistent problem of pensioner poverty. With 1.7m pensioners (14%) currently living in poverty, and £5.5bn pounds of benefits left unclaimed by pensioners, Age UK has re-launched its Let’s Talk Money campaign.

A significant amount of research highlights that there are many reasons why older people aren’t claiming the benefits that they are entitled to – from a perception that the application process is too complicated, to the belief that they don’t qualify.

With so many people slipping through the net, Age UK aims to challenge the myths around eligibility, and encourage older people to claim the benefits that they are entitled to so that they can make the most of later life.

The campaign continues to focus on encouraging older people to claim the benefits they are entitled to, such as Pension Credit, Housing Benefit and Attendance Allowance.

People on low incomes can use the extra money that benefits provide to pay for utility bills, broken appliances or some much needed help around the house – removing financial stress that is a burden for so many. Continue reading →

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Posted in Campaigning, Income, Money Matters

Tagged #letstalkmoney, Age UK, Age UK Advice Line, Age UK blog, Ageing, ageing population, ageing society, Attendance Allowance, benefit calculator, benefit entitlement, benefits, benefits advice, benefitscheck, housing benefit, Income, let's talk money, let's talk money campaign, money, money matters, More Money in Your Pocket, older people, Pension Credit

Tag Archives: Age UK

Fuel poverty statistics

The impact of bus cuts on older people in rural areas

Let’s Talk Money

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