Britain's Elderly: The Forgotten Poor (Poverty Documentary) | Real Stories

[Music] won't you spare me I didn't know Margaret during her life but since her death I feel that I've got to know Margaret quite well she was 87 at the time of her death and I had the task of trying to trace her family without success I have to say because unfortunately none survived her and so I'm here today to say goodbye to Margaret in place of family and friends who really should be here instead of me [Music] you know none of us want to really confront our own mortality but let me tell you I often think there but for the grace of God go I because this could happen to any one of us it could happen to me it could happen to you just depending on the circumstances of your life as it goes along and it's rather a sobering thought I can't bear the thought of dying in the same lonely circumstances as I see these people have died in [Music] almost two-and-a-half million old people in the UK are living below the poverty line many of them fought a war defending the freedom we now enjoy but today they find themselves living in isolation facing their last empty years suffering verbal and sometimes physical abuse at the hands of relatives or carers being shunted from one care home to another we want to put an end in so far as is humanly possible to the situation where people are faced with poverty and old age because I don't want there to be any forgotten people in the Britain that we want to build just how well are we caring for society's most vulnerable members [Music] edie lives in a local authority care home in the south of England [Music] [Music] Edie and her husband Stan moved here three years ago just six months later Stan died he was always singing and any of the girls that you speak to there they'll all tell you stayin was the life he was a happy-go-lucky man he wasn't ready to die I did walk down to the shops this morning got my cigarettes and that's where I miss just sitting on the wall I'm in a cigarette with me Edie feels her husband's life was shortened by the events that unfolded during the two years before they came to the home their problems began when they fell behind with maintenance payments on their flat my daughter's husband said that will buy an amazing it off you and you can live with us and we'll look after you and we didn't see any money and no money came into our hands for the maisonette that they bought he made new kitchen new dining-room area and they made our bedroom into a bed sitting room and we had to live up there and then it started to get we were beaten my husband was beaten badly one time my daughter's husband was beating my husband I just went up to him I smacked him across the face he threw me into the toilet and he paid all over me from Hector he did used to beat my daughter as well which I couldn't understand why she wouldn't let me call the place and he kicked me violently with an iron ball and he had the marks across his back to the day that he died and the air and the machete that I beat him oh it was him not her and if we bought bottle of sherry it get open pour it all over my bedspread we weren't allowed traffic this you know there's such lot of things that are cuz I I can't bring them to mind because they hurt me to keep talking about do these memories ever come back to you eating yeah it always comes back to me always it was really to frighten people we frightened travel television on too loud if I received any letters I never received them they were torn up I wasn't allowed to have any fun cause [Music] unfortunately I've cooked and crying and I can't crying here get choked I can't cry I wished I could come [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Eugene is 77 he lives alone in a one-bedroom flat and sometimes goes four days without speaking to another soul they were married over 20 years a wife Jade just the only person I knew at that from my own mother brothers and sisters were caught late I lost contact with him years ago right since he moved into the flat he's been burgled repeatedly and feels persecuted by the children on the estate the first tournament was all right but after that it was hell on earth fear me I was shaken at times like you know can I sleep at night everything was trampled on all over the place I know the children that was in they were breaking into care of those damaging cares no control over them what a parent will do nothing about it like it just only just wanted to keep them away from my place but I couldn't and come through Eleanor fear for the past five years they broke my spirit I haven't got the color even to clean the place out because I know what's going to happen again sometimes I wish ever did get away with get away from it hmm it's not right I know I'm not old I've got nothing to look forward to I'm at the end of my tether the end of my day [Music] the last time kids broke in the locks were smashed off the doorframe Eugene now has to hold the door closed with a chair I will not allow but nothing of a number just to be left alone let me live my own life all I can say he'll never die in P and P in this in this block could we live no Eugene has two sons who he believes are in New Zealand he feels he will probably die without seeing them again I don't want them to know if they have a diet when I do die we don't want them because I don't want to put them to the expense no I really trouble the best that's with my father before we hate Adi in my absence didn't worry him I didn't know he was dead to say with my brother's I didn't know that when they taught the level told oh I met a chap from where I belong to myself I don't see they told me that and he told me that my mother was dead [Music] what could I do [Music] I couldn't start crying could I make a fool of myself means one that the world could I [Music] who do you think will miss you there's nobody don't admit me to miss me I've got no acquaintances here no no [Music] [Laughter] [Music] [Music] Wow having escaped physical and mental abuse by her son-in-law Edie found safe haven in a local authority care home but even this sanctuary is to be short-lived with social services budgets under intense pressure to allow for spending on health and education care homes all over the country are being closed down sometimes pushing residents into beds in local hospitals Edie has been told that her home is scheduled to close as anybody is blind to you why is closing there is the council it's got no money so we got to go ahead and go through that or win the poll like move can we together I really don't want to go from here I already feel angry at the thought of it this is home to us it's our home and why should they take a happiness away from us because that's what they're gonna do especially if they put us to another home and that homes gonna close down and we've got go through it again and I'm gonna stick glue to my chair because I'm not going to be shifted [Music] [Music] [Music] Sheila is 71 she's been living on the streets periodically for 20 years now another homeless person Malcolm Lucas after Sheila wheeling her around their home patch in central London her life fell apart with the death of her husband when she was in her early 50s I felt terrible you know lost on my own you know and I got so depressed that the council threw us out because we couldn't afford the rent they just come the baby has come took all the startin locked up nowhere to go mean the dog I slept on the bench in the park that injunction part met at the back of the court else since then Sheila has been homeless and has had to rely more and more on her wheelchair as her health has declined she spent some time staying in hostels and Ben breakfasts but has also become used to the privations of sleeping rough people look down on here put on the street I think all don't get me them that they're filth and we're not all we're not all the same there's somebody's bed tonight yeah ours especially the old people fussing over me an old lady's walking alone they have to sleep here in the cold I think it's just graceful to see that this is why the country's going I mean the Prime Minister should wake up to see what's going on but he doesn't he turns his back on it it's no good he should wake up to do something I mean look after this country I'll say son of a country's you look after this country first [Music] they got a Seafarer the conga game most people in lovely warm beds they sassy looking up think girl we set this house why doing that lovely warm bed Oh [Music] I'm freezing quite warm last night but it's gonna be a nifty night tonight gonna say so wish it I was so tired it's unbelievable you know I went to sleep last night [Music] use crying all that last night what for yes fade out all night last night you can until that gun two o'clock we're worried about him [Music] and you're walking about all day it's very boring you walk around you you've got a fire somewhere to sit you've got a fire somewhere to go your body's over time you snap peoples actually don't mean it it's getting no sleep you're tired irritable it's an awful feeling you know I mean sometimes I can't sleep because you never know who's about you never know what's going out and sit up in a chair all night but two blankets over me so you sleep upright and every night in your wheelchair yeah sitting up in that chair the blankets when I look down the road and I'll see people hooking and I think the saddle wish I could walk like that or go to work again like I missed you I think myself no I've done fall down I'll cry a lot I cried on last night like recipient I'll sit there now primarily it's on the blanket over me [Music] no problem so how long will she before they found her they reckon about a week well you know over the - go and buy the date on the food when an old person dies in isolation and their body lies undiscovered for days or weeks it's up to the local authority to sort out their estate and arrange a funeral she's a slime by the bathroom yeah half enough she was a very isolated person she teased the council officer like Marguerite has to build a picture of the life that has just ended what religion was the dead person and do they have family to inherit any money Margaret Renard was 87 when she died two weeks previously and still living with fierce independence refusing offers of support from the housing estate staff her body has been taken away but otherwise her home has been left exactly as it was found Bank of Cyprus with a sum of money in balance on the 31st of March this year which means that she did have a bank account and it wasn't credit so if I find any relatives I mean they would be the beneficiaries of that if there are no relatives and it's over 500 pounds and it goes to the crown yes and I absolutely hate giving money to the crown so that's a very good incentive for me to find a relative let me tell you this is an application for employment Hilton Hotels international place of birth Canada we now know she was born in Canada and religion Orthodox now what does that mean could it mean that she was Jewish I need to know what religion she is to do a proper funeral now here's a letter addressed to her in casablanca morocco and you see how varied a life can be i mean she's just been to canada to Belgium back to Canada she's lived in Morocco heaven knows where else and she's probably been to other places just to visit she certainly wasn't she was well-traveled and by the sounds of it very well-educated I would say this is an identification card there's Margaret sir 1939 and her nationality is British this is from the benefits service and it's one of their huge forms twelve pages for an eighty four-year-old to fill in I think it's quite unbelievable I mean I've known cases in my own time doing this job where people have actually taken their own lives rather than have the fear of being thrown out of their flat date benefit will end 16th of April well you needn't worry dear because she's died in you won't have to pay her any more [Music] [Music] [Music] fred is 76 and lives in the largest hostel for the homeless in Europe he's one of the few people left alive to have been born in a workhouse after his mother was raped by the son of the local landowner 28 my grandma I had to be born in the workhouse so that the council would take my partner to court and make him pay I maintain just 16 at the start of World War two fred was recommended by his regiment for military intelligence and was trained to work undercover in occupied Europe training you would be surprised at what you had go through we went on a mission sometimes I would go by hair I dropped my parachute another time uncle way step marine depending on where it was 60 years on Fred is still haunted by the memories of some of the things he had to do and 1943 I had to throw up a small boarding house with cars there was quite an empire Oh the Gestapo agents was staying here and I I just had to do it hey that was good if I quarter when you see somebody killed you must give it a second thought you had a job to do and you had to do it because other people may depend on your success half a century later Fred is seeing out his days in a room ten foot by seven foot when you get up in the morning Fred what do you do with yourself well I watch the television downstairs and in general how much you can do this is a god some you get used to other archers single minds your feeling of govern the entire your thought and if we don't think to Tyrion and don't mind at rest I feel sad in my heart that you're here am I wrong to feel that oh right [Music] do you want to stay here do you want to stay here for the rest of your life one guy [Music] [Music] it is a lovely home and it's a saint to close it it really is a sin to close it [Music] despite her protests the council are going ahead with the closure of Edie's home and as more and more residents are either moved by their families or died the numbers remaining in the home are dwindling summer passed away unfortunately and some have gone to different homes at first Marco and Anna weren't very happy where they went it isn't found that I would like to go to it's gonna be a trophy upheaval for me I don't know and I'm gonna take it [Music] the closure of Edie's home is not unusual local authority care homes are being closed every day to save money from the Social Security budget forcing residents into private care homes or onto geriatric wards Edie and Vic's fight has been publicized by the local papers when they've received dozens of letters of support from Canada you wouldn't think that come from all that the ones from accounts are on the opposite side it's quite a surprise to think that we could 85 cards wish in Islamic on what's going to happen the last chance to save the home from closure is an appeal in London where a High Court judge will make a final decision on Edie Vic's future [Music] Leedy hopes that if report decides in her favor it'll set a precedent that will save not only her home but the homes of thousands of other old people across the country [Music] the appeal has been thrown out on a legal technicality Edie's home will now definitely be closed on a technicality it still seems like a very strange decision for a council faced with bed blocking and so forth to continue making and I'm sure that the people in the health service will also be surprised and possibly there'll be a bit disappointed about the outcome of today because from their point of view open with all of those beds filled will have allowed them to start to move people out of hospital who don't need to be there so that people who need their operations can be brought into hospitals throw money at education but they only get shortchanged [Music] from his room in Europe's largest hostel for the homeless fred is planning one final trip back home to the village where he was born I'll go one floor to see ya sights of the country village ever a church let's go what I obtained that I think I've I've done everything who are on rod King son-in-law my great-grandfather owned this farm here old David English oh yes remember David English old David English group yeah I was 18 in the family I just go yeah that's my brother Peter he live in down half a job rather pay that yeah he's in Hertfordshire I just live here in the corner here I was born round in the corner yeah I was born round in in cottages long to pick mr. Peck remember mr. Peck Charlie Beck yeah Charlie pick one that's right you know and the post office no Richard yes Reggie fuller and mrs. fuller and she had four daughters what is your name though your um Frank fraid baby-free town still I thought everyone had gone and you've been up there and there's made a three okay I met someone we'll meet again one day they all asked me again farewell hello there I favor say in Spain a stellar Easter yes till we meet again really busy guy yeah Fred particularly wants to find the grave of his grandmother the woman who brought him up after his mother died [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] thank you think of everything god bless you it won't be long before I come up with joy wait [Music] [Music] did you know your mother was buried here no this is the first time first time I've ever seen six weeks [Music] do you ever wish that you were a young man again welcome there's no point because that would come under the category of wishful thinking all of that have been ask me I served my king and country when the time was in aid and I have never condemned anybody unreasonably have horse salt when you see somebody and a difficult position what they were saying but for the grace of God it could have been me this is the worst part my heart is numb my very numb I feel sad that this has happened I was very happy here and I don't know what's in front there and just hope that it's going to be for the good we're fortunate enough to be alive and amongst the living my brother says I'm going to prison he brings me ten o'clock every Sunday money and I've been sending the newspaper prints the scan there was a Korean you're gonna end up in prison now I'm not gonna bail you out we know where we going we're gonna be moved again in 18 months time yes that is closing in 18 months and we haven't had anybody to come and speak to us you've come there's no counselors come which they should they should come and have a chat with us it's quite easy to talk to us [Music] I didn't know Margaret during her life but since her death I feel that I have got to know Margaret quite well she kept a card from her mother for 60 years it says to my most loving daughter Margaret I'm longing to see you my dearest child and I do pray that it may be very soon do take care of yourself dear Margaret and let us pray for the reunion to be very very soon your loving mother godless Margaret do not be afraid I am the first and the last days the Lord I am The Living one ashes to ashes dance to death in short and certain hope of the Resurrection to eternal life let me see all day let Nina the [Music] sympathy the well-meant tactful stop the stream [Music] let me not see all I am concerned with my view crowd [Music] laughter and strain [Music] be good let me not see it but when the one September shadows steal across swish thing [Music] swish [Music]

Channel: Real Stories

Views: 218,001

Rating: 4.8293757 out of 5

Keywords: Real Stories, poverty uk, poverty in britain documentary, poverty documentary uk, poverty full documentary full documentary poverty, elderly poor uk, elderly poor uk documentary, old poor documentary, documentary old and poor, documentary old poor, elderly poverty documentary, investigative documentary, Full length documentary, full documentary, documentaries, documentary, Real Stories channe, real stories documentaries, documentary movies - topic

Id: Hf9W70cHFBA

Length: 48min 59sec (2939 seconds)

Published: Mon May 15 2017