Meeting the needs of older people in poverty
Author: Faith in Later Life
This blog was written by Katie Greene, Communications Director at Acts 435, an online giving charity that connects those who want to help with those that need help, by resourcing a national network of churches and local charities. Those churches and charities who are resourced with Acts 435 are able to post requests for help with specific items for individuals in their community, such as white goods, travel expenses, fuel costs etc. Donors can then go online to donate towards their need, which is then given to the church/charity to help source the item for the individual. Find out more at www.acts435.org.uk.
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“I will be your God throughout your lifetime – until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you. Isaiah 46:4
As a charity, along with our partners in local communities, we support the specific needs of ‘anyone who has need’ (Acts 4:35), which includes older people who are experiencing poverty and hardship. The needs posted onto our website often highlight the distinct poverty that older people experience; not just financial poverty, but also the poverty of social isolation.
The latest figures show 2.1 million (18 per cent) of pensioners in the UK live in poverty, and Age UK considers “people to be living in poverty when their resources are not enough to meet their basic needs and to allow them to take part in society. This could mean struggling to cover food and energy bills, watching every penny spent, worrying that nothing is set aside for a sudden emergency such as the cooker breaking down, or being unable to afford the cost of transport to visit a friend or go to a social club.”**
As a charity we want to resource local churches and charities who are supporting those in later life with the ability to meet these specific essential needs, such as a broken cooker, food and energy bills or travel costs to take part in an activity or attend hospital appointments. All of these specific needs would relieve an unnecessary burden, and demonstrate God’s love to these individuals.
One of our current partners supports individuals with food and provides a free ‘social hub’. Maria* attends this hub, and through this the partner charity was also able to support her with a request for help through Acts 435. She wasn’t in need of a practical item, but her need was something that would bless her, and display the love of God to her at a difficult time.
Maria lives alone since her husband recently died, and she hardly gets to speak to anyone. Her shopping trip to our partner charity’s social hub once a week is something she very much looks forward to, turning it into a day out. They make sure she has a hot meal and says that she enjoys a natter. Maria was very upset at a recent visit as she relies on her television for company, but hers had broken beyond repair. She is on pension credit, which leaves her with no money to save, so couldn’t afford a replacement. The local partner posted the request onto the Acts 435 website, which was quickly met by donors. The local charity helped Maria to replace her television with the money given, and the local partner said:
With tears in her eyes, Maria could not say thank you, she was so overwhelmed that someone could be so kind, and help her buy a television. She said, “I can watch my afternoon shows again. My house was so quiet and lonely without the noise of the TV. It relaxes me, giving me the feeling that someone is with me. I hate being on my own and miss my husband so much. I can’t thank you enough!”
There are many churches and charities in local communities that are a beacon of hope to older people, for both their practical needs and their social isolation. Thankfully there are also those who are looking out for their elderly neighbours, who are then able to signpost them to a local church or charity who can support them, such as the neighbours who helped Jack* by signposting him to a local Acts 435 partner.
Jack is an elderly gentleman who lives on his own, following the recent death of his wife. His fridge freezer stopped working just before Christmas and he lost all his food. A neighbour visited and noticed his fridge wasn’t working and reached out to a local charity for help to buy him a new one. He has no savings and lives month by month, his only income is his state pension. The local partner posted a request for the fridge freezer, and since it has been delivered Jack said:
I’d like to say a massive thank you to the kind Acts 435 person who has helped me with a fridge freezer. After my wife passed, I lost interest in life, but it feels lovely knowing there are good people in this world who care about people they don’t even know.
According to the estimates provided by the government, in the years ending March 2025, March 2026 and March 2028 there will be an additional 50,000 pensioners in relative poverty after housing costs.*** This startling statistic shows that we will see many more pensioners in poverty over the next 3 years, and many more needing to rely on the support and help of local churches and charities. As a charity our vision is to resource as many of these churches and charities as possible to be able to make a difference to the lives of older people who are in need, whilst praying and speaking up for national changes that will mean that resources such as ours are no longer needed.
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*names changed for confidentiality
**Age UK Report, 2022