The problems experienced by older people in financial hardship are varied and vast. Ahead of her starting as Independent Age's new chief executive Joanna Elson CBE, reflects on what can be done to ensure no one faces financial hardship in later life. Read the full article here.
iNews was put in contact with Independent Age media volunteer Micheal to do an interview about his struggles as an older renter.With rent of £850 he is unable to stop working and is constantly trying to cut back on costs where he can. The article also discusses Independent Age's new report - Hidden Renters: The unseen faces of the rising older rental wave - which highlights the link between renting and poverty in later life, with older private renters three times more likely to live in poverty than homeowners. The article also includes a quote from John Palmer, Director of Influencing and Engagement in which he urges the government to do more to protect older renters.
The Times spoke to Independent Age media volunteer Yvonne and used quote from Head Of Policy and Influencing Morgan Vine in this article looking at the triple lock. The article discusses the fairness of the UK pension system compared to other nations and the sustainability of the triple lock moving forward. Yvonne discusses her tight budget and the huge impact scrapping the triple lock would have on her quality of life. Read here.
Independent Age's new report - Hidden Renters: The unseen faces of the rising older rental wave Independent Age received widespread coverage across national and regional press, with almost 200 articles in total, as the piece was also syndicated by PA. The report found that one in five older renters can no longer comfortably afford what they owe with a significant number of those surveyed feeling anxiety about housing. You can read stories from the Daily Mail, The Independent and iNews .
The state pension is likely to rise by 8.5% in April after data crucial triple lock was published. Following this news, Independent Age issued a statement to explain why the triple lock is currently important for older people on a low income. The quote from John Palmer, Director of Influencing and Engagement, was included in coverage of the triple lock by BBC News, BBC Radio 4, BBC News at 6, The Times (print and online), The Express.
Independent Age media volunteer Thabani Sithole went on BBC 2's Newsnight to discuss the triple lock with former pensions minister Steve Webb and former Work and Pensions secretary Davide Gauke. Thabani spoke on the issues as well as sharing her own circumstances. Watch the episode here.
Independent Age is calling on broadband providers to further promote their social broadband tariffs so that older people in financial hardship are aware that support for their internet costs is available. The article includes research commissioned by Independent Age, along with a comment from Morgan Vine - Head of Policy and Influencing. It also incudes advice for older people about how to find and apply for social tariffs along with a quote from Fran McSweeney - Head of National Services. Read the full article here.
More than half of Britain's bank branch network has closed since 2015, around 5,600 closures, leaving just 4,000 branches remaining. In their coverage of the story, the Daily Mail used a comment from John Palmer - Director of Influencing and Engagement - in which he urges banks not to forget about their older customers who may be less confident using online services.
