The future’s not bright

Ageism, neglect, poverty, isolation and deprivation; if that is all that the UK’s pensioners have to look forward to, it is no wonder that a quarter are making themselves sick with worry about it.

Help the Aged’s report ‘Spotlight 2008’ paints a grim picture for the nation’s elderly, claiming that ageism is rife, 21% of pensioners live below the poverty line and one in five do not always get treated with dignity in hospital.

As a result, nearly a million more older people are making themselves sick with worry than this time last year, the charity reports.

So much for retirement as the “golden years”.

Inevitably, Help the Aged has outlined a list of policy demands for the government to adopt, including a ban on age discrimination in the upcoming Equality Bill and establishing a targeted strategy to reduce pensioner poverty.

These are all laudable aims but whether the government will listen is another matter. There was precious little in the last Budget for older people – bar an increase in fuel payments, which will not cover the hike in prices – and it has steadfastly ignored all calls to raise the basic state pension and recently fudged the reform of the social care system.

The government’s ambivalent attitude to an increasingly large section of society seems to be percolating down to other areas, with ageism in the workplace and in general seemingly on the rise.

If this is to be addressed, the government needs to take the lead and put in place measures to ensure that pensioners do not have to struggle in poverty and are treated with the respect that anyone – regardless of age – deserves. The recent appointment of Sir Michael Parkinson as a ‘dignity ambassador’ is a step in the right direction, but more needs to be done.

After all, the power of the “grey vote” should not be underestimated. A few pensioner-friendly moves could bring Labour much-needed extra votes whenever the next election rolls around.