Press Release from the Office of the Older People’s Advocate
As temperatures continue to drop the Older People’s Advocate Dame Joan Harbison today issued an appeal to everyone to look out for older people as the weather continues to be bitterly cold and treacherous. Older people are finding it very difficult to get out to do shopping, collect medication or attend doctor or hospital appointments. Already a number of older people who have braved the icy pavements have sustained injuries such as broken wrists and ankles which will make it even more difficult for them to cope in the current cold conditions.
She said "older people are increasingly becoming afraid of going out of their homes as the roads and pavements become ever more impossible to drive or walk on especially away from main roads and in side streets and less travelled roads which often don’t have pavements. The forecast suggests this is going to get worse over the weekend."
It is important that older people keep warm but many are afraid to turn their heating up or heat all of their accommodation. Dame Joan welcomes the speed with which the additional cold weather payments have been made this year but these payments only help those in receipt of specific benefits and she has been made aware of many older people who are not eligible but are living on very low incomes. They must be encouraged to keep themselves warm. We need to be aware that more people die here as the result of being cold in winter than in Finland which lies on the Arctic Circle.
Dame Joan said "I would urge everyone who has an older relative or knows of older people who may not be able to get out to be a ‘good neighbour’ and check on their welfare regularly and if possible ensure they are keeping warm and have enough food to keep them going over this difficult period for everyone."
Initial meeting with Angela Eagle
Standing - Angela Eagle (The minister with responsibility for pensions and benefits in the dept of work and pensions) Dame Joan Harbison (Older People's Advocate for Northern Ireland) and Ruth Marks (Older People's Commissioner for Wales)
When Ruth Marks and I met with Angela Eagle (above) we discussed issues
relating to benefits - pointing out obstacles such as complicated forms
and lack of knowledge hindering people from applying for what they are
entitled to. If we could provide more accessible information and forms
more people could have less worry about how to pay their bills.
Dame Joan Bakewell and I will continue to stress the necessity of
raising the basic pension and making benefits more accessible for those
most in need.
The Minister has invited the Welsh Commissioner and I to join the DWP's
forum on Ageing and this will give us an opportunity to contribute to
debate on pensions and be up to date on any new developments.
