The nation’s largest charity for older people has today called upon the Scottish and UK governments to provide additional support to households with at least one person aged 60 or over, who are most likely to struggle to pay for their essentials this year.

New analysis from Age UK finds that 220,000 older households in Scotland, among the 2 million across the UK, will have ‘insufficient income’ to cover essential spending costs amid rising bills this year.

Brian Sloan, Chief Executive of Age Scotland, said:

“It’s scandalous that so many older households are being left with no choice but to switch off their heating and reduce the amount of food they buy or risk falling into debt due to unmanageable bills.

“These debts will become ever harder to clear as their outgoings from fixed incomes continue to rise.”

Age Scotland’s earlier Help to Turn Up the Heat report notes that one third of older households in Scotland live in fuel poverty, and 94% of older people surveyed in January were worried about the cost of their energy bills.

Age Scotland recommends the government create “further one-off payments to support people on the lowest incomes” with the drastic increase in cost-of-living and energy bills.

The cost-of-living crisis means many older and poorer Scottish households will need to spend around 17% more of their income on essential goods and services like housing, utility and transport, according to the charity.

Such costs already made up as much as 70% of the poorest oldest household outgoings in 2021-22, with 150,000 Scottish pensioners in relative poverty. Spending on essentials is estimated to increase to 87% in 2022-23.

Mr Sloan says the next few months will be particularly difficult for the many older people reliant on State Pension to survive, and those living on low or fixed incomes. He added:

“The cost of living is surging, and quickly, but solutions from decision makers are few and far between.

“It’s clear further action is needed and we believe governments and councils should fully explore all avenues of support they could provide to ensure older households can cover the costs essential to supporting their health and wellbeing.”

Carolynne Hunter, a parent-carer, told healthandcare.scot that the fuel crisis increased her family’s cost-of-living to an unaffordable level, saying financial support is needed for continued running of essential equipment to meet her daughter’s complex needs.

Age Scotland calls upon local councils, the Scottish government and the UK government to take action for older people, especially those with on the lowest income and with health conditions.

In the first episode of our joint podcast with theALLIANCE, Equally Valued, we spoke to researchers and care providers, including parent-carers and community links workers about how fuel poverty and the cost-of-living crisis impact people's health and wellbeing in Scotland.

Care workers are also struggling in their role to effectively support people amid price rises. Recently, healthandcare.scot reported that care-at-home providers across Scotland are urgently in need of support, with surging petrol costs leaving staff unable to travel to work.

Age Scotland warns that if there are not “major interventions”, the growing costsof living will push more older households into financial insecurity, poorer health and poverty.

The charity’s Chief Executive, Brian Sloan, said:

“There must be more politicians can do to help, so the time to act is now rather than waiting until life becomes even worse for many more people.”

He added that “hundreds of millions” in support for older people goes unclaimed in Scotland every year and it is imperative that barriers to claiming this support are broken down.

In the earlier Help to Turn Up the Heat report, Age Scotland recommends the Scottish government undertake a “nationwide promotion” of social security for older people to make claims and maximise their incomes.

Now, today’s new analysis shows more and more older households will be struggling and Sloan says, “the situation is becoming increasing desperate.” The charity is looking at these earlier recommendations and again urging the Scottish and UK government, and local authorities to take action to help older people.

A spokesperson for the Scottish government told healthandcare.scot:

“The Scottish government is investing almost £770m this year to tackle the cost-of-living pressures, including Scottish social security payments that are not available elsewhere in the UK, and mitigating the bedroom tax.”

“We have repeatedly urged the UK government to show the same level of ambition and take urgent action to address the cost of living crisis and provide adequate to support to households in need.”

The Scottish government has announced it will increase the value of eight devolved benefits by 6%, rather than the expected 3.1%.

Age Scotland provide a free helpline on 0800 12 44 222 as part of their work, to discuss what claims older people may be entitled to, and an online benefits calculator.

Read more: Insight: Carers in need as fuel poverty hits; Health poverty hits children halfway through pregnancy; Voices of disabled key to policy development

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