UK pensioners 'facing poverty'

28/07/2009

British pensioners are worse-off than those in eastern European nations such as Poland and Romania, it has been revealed.

According to Eurostat, nearly one third of British people aged over 65 were living in poverty, compared to an EU-wide average of just 19 per cent.

What's more, pensioners in the UK were found to suffer a 70 per cent drop in personal income when they retire - the widest margin in Europe.

Responding to the results, Age Concern and Help the Aged said that the government needed to do more to protect pensioners.

Michelle Mitchell‚ charity director for Age Concern and Help the Aged, said: "What this report clearly shows is that‚ even before the recession set in‚ many older people weren't keeping up with the pace at which the general wealth of the nation has increased over the past years.

"This means they risk being increasingly excluded from community life. In a country where the richest have incomes five times higher than the poorest‚ older people are disproportionately bearing the burden of this inequality.

Recent research from Age Concern and Help the Aged showed that 20 per cent of British over-60s were skipping meals in order to save money.

Tags; Income Worries and Debt, Retirement Money Problems,

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