News and media

The Daily Express spoke to Independent Age media volunteer Veronica about her experience of the cost of living crisis, which she compared to living in wartime. The article also quotes Morgan Vine, Head of Policy and Influencing, discussing the worrying statistics revealed in a recent survey carried out by Independent Age. The figures imply that a significant proportion of older people will be cutting back on essentials this Christmas.

Both the Daily Mail and the Telegraph ran with comments made by Morgan Vine, Head of Policy and Influencing, on the worrying prospect of blackouts affecting older people amidst the current cold snap. She expresses concerns over the health and safety of vulnerable older people who rely on equipment that requires continuous power and the risk of some older people being cut off.  

Ahead of the 18th December cut off point to become eligible the second half of the cost of living payment by back dating a Pension Credit claim, Independent Age circulated a press release to alert the public. The story was picked up by the national news outlets. Read more in the Daily Express and i News.

Our Head of Policy and Influencing, Morgan Vine, gave a comment to the Daily Mail on the current backlog at the DWP that has left over 60,000 Pensioners waiting over 6-months for claims to be approved.

Denis' story was shared to publicise the partnership between Independent Age and Nationwide aimed at educating and supporting older people targeted by scammers. Articles detail the services offered as part of the new partnership and describes a number of the scams that Denis has had to face. Read more at the Express and the Mirror.

ITV News interviewed Independent Age Service user Yvonne to find out how she is coping this winter. She spoke about the many sacrifices she has been forced to make just to make ends meet, and encouraged viewers to check their eligibility for Pension Credit. ITV also interviewed our Director of Services, who gave some advice to any pensioners struggling this winter. Read the story and watch the interviews here.

Following the Autumn Statement, our Director of Policy and Communications John Palmer released a statement praising the protection of the triple lock. However, he also reiterated the need for the government to increase the uptake of Pension Credit amongst poorest pensioners in Britian in order to help them through the cost-of-living crisis. John's statement was used by The Sun in an article highlighting the key points of the Autumn Statement. 

Independent Age is the featured charity in this month's BBC Lifeline Appeal, presented by Royle Family star, Sue Johnston. The 10-minute appeal showcases the work the charity does through the stories of Thabani, Denis and Fiona. All of which have been supported by Independent Age’s Helpline, volunteering and telephone groups. Visit our Lifeline Appeal page to learn more and watch the appeal.