The hidden two million

Who are the hidden two million?

The number of people facing financial hardship is growing – more than two million older people live in poverty in the UK, and at least one million more live with precarious finances.

Living in financial hardship affects older people's health, intensifies loneliness and reduces the quality of life – so we can and must work to prevent and alleviate it.

What we're doing

In 2023 we held an event to introduce and demonstrate our renewed focus, an important moment for older people living in poverty and financial hardship.

During the event, attendees were given the first preview of our new short film, which brought to life the issues that older people in financial hardship face daily.

Each of the case studies within the film represents an area of financial hardship that we will be focusing on: income, costs, community and housing. Read more about our new areas of focus .

Alongside our new short film, we also showcased other case studies as part of a photographic exhibition.

The bedroom is just 7ft square, so you can’t turn around in it, and there are cracked windows.
Peter, Cornwall
There are benefits I’ve been entitled to – that I’ve paid for with my taxes – but didn’t even know about.
William, Cheshire
I worked until I was 75 and it amazes me that I can’t afford to sit down in my own home and put the heating on.
Gwenda, London
I used to have carers and the council paid for them but then they started making me pay, and it became too much for me to afford.
Ismael, London
I worked all my life, and still I have to choose whether to heat the bungalow or eat.
Carol
You used to just go the council offices and discuss your situation with a human being – but it’s not like that anymore.
Michael, Essex
I use a little heating, but it’s still cold and means I only eat twice a day. How is this possible?
Aminah, Middlesbrough
When the letters from the bank and energy company started coming through… I was so frightened.
Thabani, London
I’m very cautious with money. I’m careful to make sure I’ve got enough for food.
June, Inverclyde

Launching our poverty report

We have also launched our poverty report, The hidden two million. The report contains insights into which groups of people are at greater risk of financial hardship in later life and what steps the government can take to improve their quality of life.

Read our poverty report