Daily Express

MINISTER FOR THE ELDERLY

The generation behind Britain’s post war prosperity is now neglected, exploited and even vilified. Today the Daily Express leads demands for a...

- By Sarah O’Grady

CAMPAIGNER­S last night raced to back a Daily Express call for pensioners to have a dedicated minister to look out for their interests.

Today we are launching a campaign calling for a new Cabinet-level appointmen­t so the rights of 12 million over-65s will be

properly considered at the heart of Government.

The move has been prompted by a series of sickening attacks on the elderly, including the murder of pensioner Rose Coleman, 85, in Romford, east London, last week.

About a million older people are victims of physical, financial, psychologi­cal and sexual abuse each year, but campaigner­s say criminal conviction­s are rare and sentences far too lenient.

George McNamara, of the older people’s charity Independen­t Age, said: “Older people are often penalised when it comes to policy making by not having a champion within Government. This must change.

“As a country, we need to harness and give a greater value to the contributi­on that people make in their communitie­s in later life, and that requires political leadership and commitment.

“We need a Minister for Older People that has real teeth and the clout in Government to influence across Whitehall, with all government policies and initiative­s being assessed against the impact they have on older people.”

Because age is not a strand of hate crime under current legislatio­n, prosecutor­s are unable to apply for tougher sentences for those who abuse the elderly.

The situation has seen those guilty of sickening physical attacks and doorstep cons given “slap on the wrist” community sentences instead of jail.

Backers for our campaign say a Minister for the Elderly could lead the fight for a change in the law so crimes against vulnerable pensioners are recognised as aggravated offences, like crimes motivated by race, sexual orientatio­n, disability or domestic abuse are. The Minister could also help halt the shocking number of cases of abuse and neglect suffered by pensioners in care homes across the UK.

Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said: “There is a real need for a strong voice for older people in government, but at the moment there is no one minister, unit or strategy focused on this substantia­l and growing section of our population.

“For as long as this is the case the big issues for older people risk being overlooked by decisionma­kers, so it’s high time it changes.

“The fact that the Daily Express is campaignin­g for a Minister for Older People is great news. A named minister could help hold Government department­s to account on issues that affect older people.”

Jane Ashcroft, chief executive of the not-for-profit elderly housing specialist Anchor, also backed our campaign.

She said: “We’ve been calling for a Minister for Older People for the past six years but never has the need been greater than now.

“In 2011, 137,000 people signed a petition for a Minister for Older People, including organisati­ons working with older people, celebritie­s and more than 100 MPs.

“With the ever-deepening social care crisis, now is the time for the Government to act and ensure that the needs of our ageing population are addressed.

“The major areas of concern for older people – housing, health and social care – are currently spread across different department­s.

‘There is a real need for a strong voice for older people’ CAROLINE ABRAHAMS

‘Never has the need for one been greater than now’ JANE ASHCROFT

These can only be efficientl­y addressed by the appointmen­t of a Minister for Older People, one with enough influence to unite these department­s.

“Older people’s issues cannot be addressed in isolation because they often impact more than one government department. For example, relaxing restrictio­ns on building retirement properties will result in less demand on the NHS.

“Only through a dedicated minister can the Government send a clear message that it is serious about addressing the needs of today’s and future generation­s of older people. We fully back the Daily Express calling for a Minister for Older People.”

In 2012, MPs unanimousl­y urged the Government to consider creating a Minister for Older People.

The decision was reached after a cross-party group of backbenche­rs, who said elderly members of society are often overlooked by politician­s, launched a Commons debate on the subject.

But there has been no responsibi­lity handed to a cabinet minister.

THIS newspaper’s crusade for the creation of a Minister for the Elderly is gaining momentum with a number of MPs giving their support. The elderly face discrimina­tion as never before. Those who have never mastered new technology (3.8 million older people have never used the internet) are at an obvious disadvanta­ge in a society where almost all admin is now done online.

Attitudes must change. There is a generation­al hostility towards the elderly exacerbate­d by the Brexit vote. Every day we read stories about care homes that are failing badly. The charity Age UK has told the BBC that it must stop branding the over-60s as old and doddery. Ageing affects different people in different ways so it is wrong to pigeonhole the elderly but it is just as bad to ignore their needs.

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