Level of poverty “deeply worrying”
According to Age UK, more than 5,000 households in Cambridge are officially in fuel poverty.
Cambridge MP Daniel Zeichner has warned the level of poverty among pensioners in the city is “deeply worrying”, following new findings.
According to new research from the charity, thousands of Cambridge residents aged over 65 are in fuel poverty and hundreds often suffer from loneliness.
It comes after Age UK experienced a 12 per cent increase in calls to its national advice line this winter compared with the same period last year.
Residential care was the top issue that generated calls to its advice line over the winter, followed by health and disability, legal advice, non-residential care and money benefits.
Many of the calls are also from family members as they are often the ones to notice a significant difference in the health or circumstances of an older relative if they have not seen them for a while.
Data from the charity shows out of 14,118 residents aged over 65 in Cambridge, 910 older people are often lonely.
And 5,422 households are officially in fuel poverty.
Mr Zeichner, who is one of parliament’s Age Champions, said: “The level of poverty among the over 65’s in Cambridge is deeply worrying.”
The city MP also raised concern about the state of social care in Cambridge after Cambridgeshire County Council decided not to increase council tax despite powers from Government to raise it by up to five per cent “stop the current crisis”.
According to Age UK, 1,879 people aged over 65 provide unpaid care in the city.
“The figures confirm the hugely important role played by voluntary carers and relatives in looking after our older people,” said Mr Zeichner.
“Everyone should feel safe and secure at home in later life and have access to high-quality health and social care services.
“Voluntary carers also deserve support from local services to provide much-needed respite. But the figures show how far away we are from achieving these aspirations.”
Melanie Wicklen, Senior Operations Manager for Age UK Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, said: “The rise in recorded loneliness and levels of poverty is significant as highlighted by the national Age UK report.
“We offer a range of support services to tackle the issues faced by a rising number of older people. Our Information and Advice service provides support to ensure older people are able to access their full benefit entitlement.
“We recognise that poverty itself, along with many other factors such as poor transport links and mobility, can lead to isolation and would encourage older people to take advantage of free Home Energy Checks being delivered by Age UK which can help to reduce energy costs.
