It is time for a renewed focus on pensioner poverty in Scotland.
One in 7 people over State Pension age lives in poverty in Scotland – that’s 150,000 older people.
Behind every statistic are real people who face the daily impact of living in poverty. It’s essential their voices and experiences do not get lost in the wider conversations about poverty in Scotland.
“Not enough to live on”: Pensioner poverty in later life gives voice to 38 people in older age – living across Scotland – to tell their story of what life is like when you’ve “not enough to live on”.
All the quotes in this report are from research Independent Age commissioned from The Lines Between, to explore the experience of living in poverty for older people in Scotland.
The fieldwork was carried out between late September and early November 2022. The research findings demonstrate the necessity for the UK and Scottish governments to focus on reducing financial hardship in later life, and to provide more support to those with low levels of income.
In our report, we focus on what action the Scottish Government can take to support older people living in poverty – and we call on the Scottish Government to implement recommendations in four key areas.
At Independent Age, we believe no one should face financial hardship in later life. Achieving this belief requires ambitious action.