Politicians neglecting social care in older age, Britons believe

11 March 2010

Politicians need to make improving social care for older Britons a priority ahead of the upcoming election, it has been claimed.

Of those people polled in a study carried out by Age Concern and Help the Aged, six in ten stated that they don't feel the nation's politicians are doing enough to boost levels of care available and to support pensioners.

Additionally, 15 per cent went so far as to say that care reform is among the most important political issues for them ahead of the general election, with this proportion being as high as one in three among the over-65s.

Commenting, Michelle Mitchell‚ charity director at Age Concern and Help the Aged, noted that the findings show that concerns over social care in old age are strong among people of all ages.

"We need a mature debate on social care reform and hope that our care summit will be the first step in helping politicians put forward long-term solutions that will benefit generations to come," she said.

This comes soon after a study by MGM Advantage found that retired households in the UK have seen their annual living costs rise by £770 over the past year.

Such a situation could prompt the number of retirees opting for equity release schemes to rise as people look for an extra source of income.

Posted by Claire Ford