Cost of living: 'Nightmarish spectre of hunger' facing pensioners this winter, experts warn
Nearly a third of over 60s in the UK are buying fewer groceries due to the cost of living crisis.
Nearly a third of over-60s have cut back on food or groceries due to the cost of living, Age UK warns
The charity suggests malnutrition is becoming a bigger problem among older people due to inflation
It calls on the government to bring in reforms to avoid a "nightmarish spectre of hunger" this winter
Nearly a third of over-60s have resorted to cutting back on food or groceries as they struggle with the cost of living crisis, a charity has warned.
With winter approaching, Age UK is urging the government to offer more targeted support in order to avoid a "nightmarish spectre of hunger" among older people in the UK.
New research by the charity reveals almost a third (29%) of over 60s - amounting to 4.2 million people - have recently cut back on food or groceries to make ends meet.
This figure rises to 40% among over 60s living in a household with an annual income of £20,000 or lower - which applies to at least 1.8 million homes.
Faced with high energy bills, 39% of over 60s said they were worried about being able to afford food, prompting fears that people will cut back on groceries even further this winter to stay warm.
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Analysis by Age UK shows the median pensioner household is spending roughly £50 per week on food and non-alcoholic beverages - 16.4% of their household income after tax.
This is up from £38 in 2021 (13.7% of their after-tax income), meaning they have been spending £640 more per year on food since the start of the cost of living crisis.
Age UK charity director Caroline Abrahams said that malnutrition had "long been a real problem for many older people", but "lack of funds was not the major factor".
She said the issue was more related to loneliness, social isolation and health problems, but that the picture is changing as more and more older people are driven into poverty.
"Once it gets colder their costs will substantially rise, so what will they do then? We fear the answer is that many will feel they have no choice but to ration their food and other groceries, potentially putting their health at risk," Abrahams added.
“To avoid the nightmarish spectre of hunger spreading among older people this winter and next spring, the government needs to direct more targeted financial support to those who need it the most.
"They should also do more to support those whose incomes take them just above the line, and others whose incomes look adequate on paper but whose living costs are especially high because of their ill health or disability. All these groups need more help."
Government urged to step in
Age UK has made the following demands to help avoid a hunger crisis among older people this winter:
Extending the Cost of Living Payments past spring 2024
Expanding eligibility for Cost of Living payments to those on Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction
Increasing the Household Support Fund to help those just missing out on Cost of Living payments and Pension Credit
Honouring their Triple Lock promise on the State Pension and raising benefits in line with inflation.
The charity has also suggested reform to the benefits system which would see older people being paid Pension Credit and Housing Benefit automatically, rather than having to "fill in a complicated form".
It points to alarming figures from 2019-2020 (the most recent available) which show £2.4 billion of each of these benefits went unclaimed by older people in Britain.
A government spokesperson told Yahoo News: “There are 200,000 fewer pensioners in absolute poverty than in 2009/10 and the government remains committed to protecting pensioners.
“That is why we made the biggest State Pension increase in history this year, have committed to the triple lock as well as boosting Pension Credit – worth around £3,500 a year for those on the lowest incomes.
“On top of this, pensioners most in need will receive up to £600 this winter to help with essential costs and we are bearing down on inflation to make everyone’s money go further.”
📰A recent @YouGov poll has found that more than 1 in 3 people aged 65+ in Great Britain describe their financial situation as being worse than a year ago.
Read more about what the Government can and must do to get older people the support they need here: https://t.co/xGpie6ApVW— Age UK Campaigns (@ageukcampaigns) October 16, 2023
Why are older people being hit harder by the cost of living crisis?
While soaring inflation has had a big impact on everyone, older people tend to bear the brunt for a few reasons.
As Age Concern points out, they are often on a fixed income and tend to spend more on home energy bills than other households.
The charity adds that pensions do not tend to rise in line with either inflation or pay increases, meaning older people often fall behind.
In April the state pension went up by 3.1%, while the average energy bill of just under £2,000 is 20% of the £9,627 a year paid through the new state pension.
This is putting many older people in a desperate situation, with a 78-year-old widower from London telling the BBC how he could no longer afford to bathe himself every day to soothe his arthritis.
However, there is perhaps some light at the end of the tunnel, with industry data published last week showing that annual grocery inflation was 11% in the four weeks to 1 October.
This is still very high, but it is also the lowest level in 15 months, prompting Marks & Spencer and Asda to cut their prices of hundreds of food items.
In another encouraging sign, pay in the UK is now outstripping inflation for the first time in nearly two years, although economists have questioned how long this will last.
