Independent Age, the national charity supporting pensioners in poverty is calling on the Scottish Parliament to ‘carefully and urgently’ consider how it will ensure older people on a low income will be protected, have their voices heard and their rights upheld.
As the Scottish Parliament is set to debate a report from the Finance and Public Accounts Committee into the commissioner landscape in Scotland, new polling commissioned by the charity shows that 74% of pensioners in Scotland feel their issues are not understood by the Scottish Government.1
The report calls for a moratorium – a pause - on any new commissioners in Scotland until a review can be carried out2 , which the charity says risks continuing to leave older people without an independent champion in these times of rising energy costs, the onset of winter, and recent changes to the eligibility for Winter Fuel Payments.
Support for an Older People’s Commissioner is wide-spread. In May last year, over 30 organisations working with and supporting older people across Scotland called for an OPC.3 The MSP Colin Smyth introduced a Private Member’s Bill calling for the creation of the position which recently secured the cross-party support required to be formally introduced to Parliament.
The charity says this has never been more urgent as the number of pensioners in poverty - 150,000 - is up in number by 25% since 2012 and has remained stubbornly high in recent years. 4
Debbie Horne, Scotland Policy and Public Affairs Manager at Independent Age, said: “It’s hard to overstate the devastating impact that deepening poverty is having on older people across Scotland. In a socially-just society, no one should live in poverty. It is also incredibly worrying that the majority of older people feel their issues are not understood by the Scottish Government.
“While we welcome the robust efforts of many MSPs to support their older constituents and represent their views in Parliament, polling shows that more needs to be done. Careful and urgent action is required to support the many pensioner households suffering the impacts of poverty.
“We firmly believe the only way to tackle pensioner poverty in Scotland is through a strategic approach. A key part of this being the introduction of an independent Older People’s Commissioner. Without such a champion we worry that older people’s issues will continue to fall between the gaps.”
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Notes to editor
Footnotes
1. YouGov plc survey on behalf of Independent Age. Total sample size was 516. Fieldwork was undertaken between undertaken 8th – 14th October 2024. ‘The figures have been weighted and are representative of all adults in Scotland (aged 65+).’
2. The Finance and Public Administration Committee, Report of the Inquiry into the Commissioner Landscape Report on Scotland's Commissioner Landscape: A Strategic Approach
3. Independent Age, Why Scotland needs an Older People’s Commissioner
4. Scottish Government, Poverty and Income Inequality in Scotland 2020-23
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