Older people’s commissioner Siobhan Casey says 8 per cent suffering absolute poverty

The Derry woman, who is the Commissioner for Older People for Northern Ireland, told the NI Affairs Committee more needs to be done to encourage older people to avail of their entitlements.

“It really matters. What I think people do not understand is that receiving pension credit unlocks so many other opportunities for people. For me, though, it is also about protecting people from poverty.

"If we cannot reach people entitled to pension credit, that is saying a lot. About 8 per cent of older people in Northern Ireland are in relative poverty, and another 8 per cent are in absolute poverty. We are seeing that, as people move from their 60s to their 70s and 80s, that is growing, and the oldest pensioners are facing the greatest financial vulnerability. We have very low private pension rates in Northern Ireland compared with the rest of the UK. That means that people are particularly dependent on their state pension, which leaves them vulnerable to rising living costs and unexpected expenses,” she told the committee during a briefing at Westminster.

Ms. Casey outlined how access to pension credit can unlock other packages of support including housing benefit, cold weather payments, the free TV licence for those aged 75 and help with dental, optical and hospital travel costs.

This is particularly important given our ageing population with the over 65 cohort of the population increasing every year by 6,000 or 7,000, she stressed.

The Commissioner estimated that between 23,000 and 30,000 older people are not claiming pension credit despite being entitled to it.

Figures from 2019-20 show that 28 per cent of pensioner households (26,000) were not claiming, which amounted to approximately £1.1m a week or £55m per year in unclaimed credit.

During the evidence session Ms. Casey said boosting uptake would make a real difference to people’s lives as low private pension rates in the North make older people more vulnerable to poverty.

“It is difficult to heat homes adequately and maintain a healthy diet. All those things lead to deterioration in physical and mental health, which puts pressure on public services. When public services are stretched, that makes it even harder for people, making them more vulnerable.

"There is growing evidence, too, of increased food insecurity among older people. That is why getting these types of entitlements to them is really important.

"There is also the fact that older people are likely to live with one or more long-term health conditions or disabilities, which means that their living conditions can worsen. Many older people live on fixed incomes, so they do not have the opportunity to increase their earnings,” said the Commissioner.

Ms. Casey spoke of a large increase in the number of older people attending food banks.

"Older people are the largest group going to the likes of the Trussell Trust. There is a 91 per cent increase in those going for food support. Then there is the reduction in the winter fuel payment too, so there is certainly an impact on people,” she said.