Cost of living: Two million British pensions currently living in poverty | ITV News

lunch Club in South Manchester a hot meal and a chance to meet friends at the African Caribbean Care Group this charity supports pensioners on low incomes and demand for help has gone up by 40 percent it's not easy but I tried to call yeah Yvonne is in a wheelchair and relies on a team of carers as her energy bills have risen she's had to cut back on some home support things are getting a bit tough I can't afford it anymore so I stopped that yesterday and that's physio to come in as it for you yeah your territory pounds are always a lot on the next table I meet a Loma who's a full-time carer for Grace who's in her 80s transport costs are their biggest challenge I feel it's really expensive so I think it's ridiculous what impact does it have on on you too well from the most fears or the taxis it's raising a little bit higher analysis shows that pensioners from black and Asian communities around twice as likely to be living in poverty as white pensioners people are just arriving Dorothy is the CEO here and fears for those suffering alone people are getting into debt and the stress and the the turmoil on an individual is quite immense I would like to see some sustained help from the government you know you hear people talking about fuel increases of three thousand pounds that is a significant burden on a lot of people people need to know now how they're going to manage inflation has now hit 9.4 percent but the state pension only increased by 3.1 percent this year it's estimated more than 2 million pensioners are living in poverty the highest level since 2012 and older people aren't claiming all of the help they're entitled to a third of pensioners on low incomes eligible for pension credit are still missing out from January the average household Energy bill could surge above 4 200 pounds a year According to some forecasts and for the retired that's getting close to half of their annual state pension on the south coast Janet retired in 2020 age 66 but living on her own with no savings was tough and she's now had to go back to work wouldn't be coping just on the pension and so it's how how much longer I can continue to work even with what I'm earning at the moment it it left me with 63 pound a month for food to live on so that's how you know and that's allowing for the energy as it is at the moment which you know is going to increase campaign has worn the situation is fast becoming a national emergency if elderly people who are frail and often vulnerable can't afford to have enough heating or a sufficient food their lives will be at risk you know that they are extremely vulnerable to the cold which is why I'm so concerned about the coming winter you're having a busy day I am it's not really I was busy on a Tuesday back in the Northwest home-cooked meals are being delivered to hundreds of households how are you doing all right Frederick's in his 80s his ability to earn is long gone there you go see all yours so you know what what can I do my ears I'm 84 now you know everything going here where yeah yeah yeah it is but I cannot do a thing but just pray to God and you know hope for the best the government has promised extra support worth hundreds of pounds each to help older people cope this winter but right now Charities are having to step in like never before Sarah Corker ITV News

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Length: 4min 13sec (253 seconds)

Published: Mon Aug 15 2022