Responding to the mini-budget, Morgan Vine, Head of Policy and Influencing at national older person’s charity Independent Age, said:
“For people on the lowest incomes, including the millions of older people already facing real financial hardship, the mini-budget has offered little in the way of reassurance.
“Many will still find themselves skipping meals or sitting in a cold, dark home this winter, resulting in significant deterioration of their quality of life, health and potentially leading to more deaths.
“To truly make this a budget for all who are struggling, the government must urgently review support for people in later life. The freeze on energy bills will give some breathing space, but there is still a significant gap when it comes to the financial pressures older people are experiencing.
“More must be done to support older people living in, or on the edge of, poverty. It is critical in the next two years that the triple lock is maintained and uprated by inflation, alongside the uprating of Pension Credit.”