Social Indicator

Audit

Source

Income and expenditure

At least 2m (19%) pensioners live below the official poverty level of 60% median income before housing costs.

 Since 2002/03 the state pension has increased by 8.7% to £84.25 a week for a single pensioner and £134.75 for a couple. The median income for UK households for 2004-05 was £349 a week.

 Over the same period water charges have risen by 12.6%, council tax by 22.8%, electricity by 32% and gas by 48.7%.

DWP: Households Below Average Income Statistics 2004/05

Office for National Statistics

Institute for Fiscal Studies

Winter mortality

In 2004-05, 31,600 people aged over 65 in England and Wales died as a result of the cold; an increase of 9600 on the previous year and the highest level of winter deaths for five years.

Office for National Statistics

Health and well-being

1.8m men and 3.2m women aged 65 and over (37% of all pensioners) suffer a long-term illness that restricts their daily activities.

Expected years of poor health from the age of 65 onwards is 4.3 for men and 5.8 for women.

131,000 (33%) care home residents have to pay for their own care such as help with eating a meal or taking a bath.

Over 500,000 (5%) people aged 65 and over are victims of elder abuse.

Office for National Statistics

Census 2001 ONS

Office of Fair Trading investigation 2005

Action on Elder Abuse 2006

Diet

1.1m (10%) people over 65 in the UK are malnourished.

One in 10 nursing home patients lose 5% of their body weight within a month of admission.

Malnutrition Advisory Group 2006

Housing

1.5m (12%) pensioners believe their homes are too cold in the winter.

 1m pensioner households spend more than 10% of their income on fuel and are regarded as suffering from fuel poverty.

1.1m (10%) pensioners say their accommodation is in need of serious maintenance/repair.

Survey of English Housing 2002

National Energy Action 2006

Survey of English Housing 2002

Social exclusion and isolation

One in three women and one in 10 men aged 60 and over in England and Wales feel afraid of walking out alone after dark.

21% men and 33% of women aged 75 and over say they have difficulty getting to the shops.

English Longitudinal Study of Ageing 2002, UCL

Mobility

3.4m (91%) single pensioners and 1.8m (53%) couples do not own a car.

 3m (28%) of older people are unable to take part in leisure/social activities due to a lack of access to public transport.

Help the Aged 2004

Office for National Statistics

Lifestyle and activities

5.4m (50%) pensioners did not buy new clothes in the previous year.

 1.2 men and 1.6m women aged over 50 in England and Wales provide unpaid care; saving the tax payer an estimated £24bn a year. 

People over the age of 70 are not allowed to undertake jury service.

Grey Matters: Growing older in deprived areas 2005

 General Household Survey ONS 2001 

Age Concern 2004