Pensions and the price of Growing Old: Channel 4 Dispatches

13 July 2015

Reported violent crimes against pensioners has increased by over 75% in the last five years, suggests research by Channel 4 Dispatches

-          Over 4 million people over 60 years old are now living alone

-          Dramatic cuts by councils to living at home at home services for the elderly

As Britain’s pensioners population soars, Channel 4 Dispatches investigate whether the public can continue to rely on the state to support us in or old age?   

As part of the investigation, Freedom of Information requests were sent to every police force in the country. 37 responses and the figures show in the last five years an increase in reported violent crimes against those aged 65 and over. 

On average there were 1500 more cases reported each year. Comparing 2010 and 2014 figures showed an increase of over 75%.

The programme, which airs on Monday 13th July, also features the story of Alan Barnes, the 67 year old disabled pensioner mugged in January and found other examples of attacks on old vulnerable people living alone.  

However, the Home office said the rise in reported violent crime against the elderly could be attributed to more “…accurate crime recording by forces” as well as an: “…increased willingness of victims to report domestic abuse”.

Using the latest government figures Dispatches calculated that over 4 million people over 60 years old are now living alone. 

Many of them are lonely - nearly half of all pensioners said in a recent survey they relied on television as their main source of company and a quarter also said they have no one to turn to for help and support.

Founder of Silverline, Dame Esther Rantzen told Channel 4 Dispatches: “It’s a shocking figure but it’s not a surprising figure. It’s shocking because it reveals levels of unhappiness. You know loneliness brings depression, it can lead to mental deterioration, it can lead to Alzheimers, it’s horrible when you wake up at three in the morning longing for someone to talk to and there’s no one”.

Service dramatically reduced  

However analysis of government data suggests services to the elderly, living at home, have been dramatically reduced by councils in the past five years. The investigation found more than 60,000 people over the age of 65 now no longer receive meals on wheels.

Freedom of Information requests to all councils in England and Wales revealed the level of cuts also made to sheltered accommodation:

-          From 104 responses Dispatches discovered over the past five years budgets had been cut by £13.5 million

-          Responses from 43 councils also reveal how wardens have been reduced by just under a third - with some boroughs losing all its wardens

-          84 responses to a question about the number of tenants showed over 4 thousand fewer elderly people were benefiting from sheltered accommodation. This at the same time the numbers of old people overall have been growing

Attitudes towards looking after the elder

Channel 4 Dispatches commissioned a survey to learn more about the country's attitudes towards looking after the elderly. 

Nearly half of the 1,500 people surveyed said that the government should be more responsible for the elderly.

A quarter of the respondents said families should be more responsible for looking after the elderly. However over 40% said they probably couldn’t provide full-time personal care, with a third unable to give financial support.

The Department of Health told Channel 4 Dispatches “By 2020 we will have a million more over 70s, so we know we need to make transformational change to the way we provide care for the elderly”.

They said an increase of NHS funding for a “Better Care Fund” will focus “…resources on preventing older people from becoming ill or needing care”. Secretary of State for Health recently said: “The government, nationally or locally, can’t do this alone. Attitudes need to change too, so that it becomes as normal to talk about elderly care with your boss as about childcare. Family planning must be as much about care for older generations as planning for younger ones”.

Pensions and the price of Growing Old: Channel 4 Dispatches, Monday 13th July at 8pm