65% of people say state pension not enough to live on   05.03.08

65% of people in Britain believe an individual person needs more to live on than a pensioner is currently guaranteed by the government.

 

At present, an older person living on pension credit[1] would have just over £200 per week on which to live. But research by Ipsos MORI[2] for the charity Independent Age shows that 65% of people believe an individual person needs an income of at least £250 per week for an adequate standard of living.

 

Chief Executive of Independent Age, Janet Morrison, says: ‘Older people, whatever their age should be able to exercise choice and control over their lives in order to lead independent and fulfilling lives. Financial security is a crucial barrier to independence and we believe that older people deserve more than the subsistence level offered by the basic state pension.’

 

Independent Age, which provides over 6,000 older people with an extra income for life as well as volunteer befriending, is holding its annual Action Week (3-9 March 2008) to raise money and recruit volunteers.

 

‘Although we believe that the state should provide the safety net of subsistence, the state alone cannot provide the additional income for everyone that people believe they require. It is part of everyone’s responsibility - as an individual, employer, family member, charity donor and community member - to contribute,’ continues Janet Morrison.

 

Other findings from the survey include:

 

• Seven in eight (87%) people agree that financial security is critical to independence in old age
• Over half (56%) of people disagree that society values people over 65, yet nine in ten (91%) agree that people over 65 have valuable experiences to share
• Fewer than 1 in 10  (6%) believe people over 65 are a burden on society
• 35% of people believe that the individual and 32% believe the family has a role to play in supporting older people in financial need. 

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Notes to Editors

1. This research marks just one part of Independent Age’s Action Week. Other activities include The Big Bridge; games of social bridge taking place across the UK from 3 to 9 March 2008. Games held will be part of a national effort to improve awareness of older people’s independence needs and raise funds to assist the charity’s work. For more information on this visit www.bigbridge.org.uk or by calling Nick Hanmer on 020 7605 4288.

 

2. Independent Age is driven by the needs of older people and supports them to lead independent and fulfilling lives. Our vision is of a society where older people can fulfil their aspirations, are valued and respected so that they are given the opportunity to contribute fully to their communities.

Independent Age provides an additional income for life; the friendship of a volunteer visitor; emergency grants for essentials such as urgent house repairs; mobility equipment to aid independent living; clothing and bed-linen; grants to pay for convalescence after an operation and high quality care in our residential and nursing homes.

Visit www.independentage.org.uk for more information.

 

3. Technical Details

Ipsos MORI interviewed a representative quota sample of 2,007 adults aged 15+ in Great Britain. Interviews were carried out face-to-face, in home, using CAPI (Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing). Fieldwork was conducted on the Ipsos MORI Capibus between 8th and 14th February 2008.  Data are weighted to be representative of the GB population.

For more information and interviews contact Rebecca Law on 020 7605 4291 or e-mail: rebecca.law@independentage.org.uk.

 

For further information from Ipsos MORI about this study, please contact Jo Slaymaker on 020 7347 3000 or Jo.slaymaker@ipsos-mori.com