The i spoke to our latest media volunteer Judith about her struggles after losing her Winter Fuel Payment. The article also includes helpline data from 2024 which shows a huge increase in the number of calls we received concerning the Winter Fuel Payment and Pension Credit.
We put The i in touch with one of our media volunteers who works as a live-in carer and a dog sitter because the State Pension isn't enough for her to live on. Jules, 73, who is from the South West of England but moved to a smaller and cheaper house near Aberdeen in Scotland, is one of hundreds of thousands still working in later life.
Yvonne, one of our most active media volunteers, spoke to iNews about her experience of financial hardship. She argues the State Pension isn't enough and even though she receives the Winter Fuel Payment, it's still not enough to cover rising energy bills.
Brian Cox, Jane Asher and Sue Holderness are working with Independent Age in an awareness campaign urging older people to check their Pension Credit eligibility before 21 December, the cutoff date for backdating the Winter Fuel Payment in order to receive it this year. The campaign was covered by the Daily Mail.
National coverage following the publication of our latest report - Looking for a Lifeline: Modelling a single social tariff for water report. Chief Executive Joanna Elson CBE was invited on LBC radio to discuss water poverty and the report. Our Campaigns Manager George Stanbury was also interviewed by LBC The findings of the report were also reported in The Mirror, GB News and Express.
Independent Age's reaction to the Prime Minister's plan for change speech was the used by the Daily Record and Express in their coverage of the speech. Amy Dodge, Head of Influencing, argued that "the almost two million older people living in poverty right now have not been considered in the six milestones put forward" and urged the UK Government to reconsider the changes to the Winter Fuel Payment.
Media volunteer Jules in touch spoke to Big Issue about how she will be impacted by the cuts to the Winter Fuel Payment. Jules can’t afford to retire – so she “makes a few extra pennies” as a carer and dog sitter. The article includes statistics from our polling showing that 43% of older people who have lost the payment will go to bed earlier to avoid heating their home. The story also links to Independent Age's GoFundMe appeal for our Helpline. Read the article here.
The SNP announced further funding for various support funds and that, next year, some element (£100, not the previous £300/200) of universality would return in Scotland to the Winter Fuel Payment. Debbie Horne, Independent Age's Scotland Policy and Public Affairs Manager, issued a statement broadly welcoming the change which was picked up by Big Issue, Holyrood Today, Scottish Housing News . Joanna Elson CBE, our Chief Executive, also issued a statement to more UK focused media, broadly welcoming the Scottish Government's decision but calling on the UK Government to do reverse the WFP changes. You can read Joanna's statement here.
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