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...
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.