Good week/bad week

Have this week’s events brought good news or bad for older people?

By Rebecca Law, Media and PR Officer

Bad week:
We were left feeling cold this week as we found out that nearly half of all households in fuel poverty contain someone aged 60 or over. The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) released its 2011 fuel poverty statistics showing that fuel poor households in 2009 had risen by a whopping 1 million in the UK (from 4.5 million to 5.5million) since 2008.

And the bad news was compounded – for older people and for all – as Scottish and Southern Energy rubbed salt into the wound by becoming the third major UK energy suppliers to announce double digit price increases.

Older people will be particularly hard hit by the changes. They have to keep their room temperatures higher than younger people to stay healthy, and are likely to spend a lot more time indoors. But when caught out by by rising bills, a reduction in their winter fuel payment and changing eligibility criteria of the Warm Front scheme, it’s going to be a long, hard winter in which they may find themselves cutting back on other basics or risking the cold.

Good week:
Better news this week as Age UK announced they are teaming up with the NHS Confederation and Local Government Group to launch the Partnership on Dignity in Care. The commission, which aims to improve the dignity in care provided to older people, will hear from nurses, doctors, patient representatives and leaders across the health and social care. It follows far too many examples of neglect and ageism in our hospitals and care homes (some, not all, of course). It’s a step in the right direction.

Good week/bad week

Have this week’s events brought good or bad news for older people?

By Rebecca Law, Media and PR Officer

This was a bad week for Southern Cross residents as the company finally posted the keys through the letterbox and walked away. The firm lost its battle against huge rental bills and cuts in fees from local authorities. Southern Cross promised there would be an “orderly closure of the group’s affairs”. The Department of Health has promised that no one will find themselves homeless or without care, but the events still leave staff, thousands of residents and their families facing uncertainty and anxiety.

This was a good week for cheque users as the Payments Council announced it was bowing to people pressure and abandoning its plans to withdraw cheques by 2018. Many groups who are still reliant on the payment method, including older or housebound people, small businesses, schools and charities, breathed a huge sigh of relief. The media are speculating however whether the move is just a stay of execution, especially given that the guarantee card was axed just two weeks ago. There are also concerns that disproportionately high fees could be attached to cheque usage. But for now at least, the concerned parties have a reprieve (as do the excuse-makers who can still say “your cheque’s in the post!”).