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

We recently 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.

  • Woman wearing headscarf looking towards the camera
    The roof leaks, the walls are full of mould, rats keep me awake at night.

    Rajia, Birmingham

  • Man wearing flat cap with trees in background
    The bedroom is just 7ft square, so you can’t turn around in it, and there are cracked windows.

    Peter, Cornwall

  • Man wearing fleece jacket looking towards the camera
    There are benefits I’ve been entitled to – that I’ve paid for with my taxes – but didn’t even know about.

    William, Cheshire

  • Headshot of woman with kitchen in background
    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

  • Man facing camera with grass in the background
    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

  • Older man facing camera wearing a hat
    It’s embarrassing that I’m in this situation. I feel like I can’t share these worries with my family or friends.

    Abdul, Birmingham

  • Headshot of older woman
    My husband always did the finances. Now he’s in a care home and that’s where the problems started.

    Frances, Inverclyde

  • Headshot of older woman who receives pension credit
    Pension Credit is a terrific top-up for someone without savings – there are so many things that come with it.

    Veronica, London

  • Older couple standing in front of house
    I worked all my life, and still I have to choose whether to heat the bungalow or eat.

    Carol and Wilfred

  • Older man looking serious
    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

  • Headshot of older man
    How do I tell someone I didn’t have a meal this week, or that I haven’t had breakfast for the past few days?

    Kari, Birmigham

  • Woman with serious expression
    I use a little heating, but it’s still cold and means I only eat twice a day. How is this possible?

    Aminah, Middlesbrough

  • Woman with serious expression standing in street
    When the letters from the bank and energy company started coming through… I was so frightened.

    Thabani, London

  • Headshot of woman with green garden background
    I’m very cautious with money. I’m careful to make sure I’ve got enough for food.

    June, Inverclyde

Launching our new poverty report

We have also recently launched our new poverty report, The hidden two million. The report contains new 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.

The hidden two million: Watch our film

Our future plans

At Independent Age, we believe that no older person should face financial hardship. That’s why, by 2027, our goal is to have improved the lives of one million older people.