Have this week's events brought good news or bad for older
people?
By Rebecca Law, Media and PR Officer
This was another bad week for pensioners'
finances as a study from Age UK published on Tuesday revealed that
4.5 million people over 60 can only just afford the basics.
The study, which was based on a survey of 1,000 over 60's,
painted a bleak picture of what life is like for older people
today, in an environment of steeply rising prices.
Over half of people questioned (55%) say they are finding it
harder to manage their regular outgoings compared to this time last
year. It's little wonder given that energy prices rocketed by 18%
last year, while any potential income from savings was obliterated
by low interest rates. What's really worrying is that all the
people interviewed spoke about cutting back and making do. Nearly
half said they had turned down the heating when they were still
feeling the cold, to save money, and one in seven admitted to going
to bed when they weren't tired, just to keep warm.
As well as the obvious financial issues, the cost cutting moves
described are potentially putting pensioners' health at risk, as
well as causing them to risk isolating themselves in their own
homes. It also suggests that the government's obligation to
eliminate fuel poverty by 2016 is currently looking as likely as a
week of Thursdays.
And the future doesn't look much brighter either after another
report out this week, this time from pension experts, Barnett
Waddingham, showed that younger generations will be far worse off
than their parents in retirement because of the collapse of private
pension schemes.
It is predicted that a pensioner's income could fall from
£21,000 a year today, to only £6,440 in 40 years' time. This is
based on earning the same salary and paying into a pension for 40
years.
Given all the grim news cascading around us this week, we're
pleased to say there was one story that had a happy ending. This
was a good week (or at least a far better week
than it could have been) for 73-year-old Maurice Holder who was
rescued by his 11-year-old Labradoodle, Monty, after dropping 40ft
down a ravine.
The pensioner described in the
Daily Mail how the ground gave way beneath him as he
was walking along a river bank. After losing consciousness, he
awoke to find Monty by his side watching over him, who then led him
back to safety. "It was very steep," says Maurice. "Because all the
ground had fallen, it was loose, but Monty found a way back up on
to firm ground... Monty got me to level ground and then I just lay
down to get my breath back and as I did, Monty ran away."
Monty however had not deserted his owner but had run to the
local pub to summon help. "He came back around 15 minutes later
with a nice gentleman who helped me back to the car," explains
Maurice.
Maurice was taken to hospital, where he was treated for head
injuries, broken ribs, cuts and bruises.
