Campaign highlights
At Independent Age, we work hard to amplify the voices of older people and influence decision makers to make sure that no one has to struggle with poverty in later life. Across all of our work, our campaigners have made a huge difference.
Income
After the UK Government’s decision to means test the Winter Fuel Payment, we worked with organisations such as Silver Voices, 38 Degrees and Organise to jointly hand in a petition with over 500,000 signatures calling on the Government to delay the changes.
We have worked hard to make sure that older people receive all the support that they are entitled to, and our campaigners pushed the UK Government to take Pension Credit uptake seriously. In 2023, we delivered an invoice for unclaimed Pension Credit to the Department for Work and Pension, alongside an open letter with more than 3,000 signatures calling on the Government to do more to get Pension Credit to everyone eligible.
Housing
Campaigners have also been highlighting the issues older renters on a low income face – a group we know is more likely to face financial hardship in later life.
Our campaigners have shared their stories of the private rented sector with us, told us what a home means to them, and written to their MP to push for the UK Government to bring forward the Renters Reform Bill to Parliament. The passage of this bill was interrupted by the general election, but it has been brought back by the new Government as the Renters Rights Bill and we have continued to push for better support and protection for older renters.
Our campaign against horrible homes for older renters
In December 2024, we travelled round the country meeting key MPs in the housing space to talk about the difficulties older renters are facing.
We collected stories from our campaigners anonymously and advertised their renting experiences in an estate agency advert style, highlighting the experiences older renters have with insecure, unsuitable or unaffordable housing.
Cost of living
We’ve been working hard to ensure that everyone receives generous, consistent support with their household bills. At the end of 2024, we sent towels to every water company in England and Wales, printed with quotes from older people explaining how high water bills have had a negative effect on them. We also delivered these towels to the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, calling on the UK Government to implement a single social tariff for water to guarantee more unified, consistent support for people struggling with their water bills.
In 2022, with sky-high household costs becoming increasingly unaffordable, the government announced cost-of-living payments for everyone of State Pension age, with extra support for older people receiving Pension Credit. We successfully influenced the UK Government to take this approach, so that the hundreds of thousands of older people who are eligible for Pension Credit but don’t receive it didn’t miss out on this vital support.
Commissioner for Older People and Ageing
We’ve joined forces with other charities to call for a Commissioner for Older People and Ageing (COPA) in England and an Older People's Commissioner (OPC) in Scotland to ensure older people have a voice at the heart of government.
In March 2024, our campaigners contributed to the Women and Equalities Committee to talk about the reality of growing old in the UK. Our campaigners informed the committee about their experiences with digital exclusion and the issues their communities face when accessing services, paying for things and using public transport.
Following our contribution, the Women and Equalities Committee published a report into ‘The rights of older people’ in February 2025 which echoed our call for a Commissioner for Older People and Ageing.
Our campaigners work hard to make sure that the issues facing older people in poverty are placed front and centre of the political agenda. If you want to join us and hear about ways that you can be involved in this work, join our Campaigns Network.