New research has laid bare the severe financial hardship facing older people across the UK this winter, with many resorting to extreme measures simply to get by. A study by the charity Age UK reveals a hidden crisis, where one in 20 pensioners are skipping meals and one in seven are bathing or showering less frequently due to money worries.
The Personal Cost of the Crisis
The stark statistics are embodied by individuals like 82-year-old Roger Cliffe-Thompson from Merseyside. Despite working five days a week as a care home activities coordinator, he struggles to make ends meet. His state pension and small private pension are insufficient, especially with an interest-only mortgage he must pay until he is 99.
"If I have a bath, I save the water rather than pull out the plug," Mr Cliffe-Thompson explained. "That way I can use it to flush the cistern." He has also fitted a water meter and meticulously limits his energy use to around £1.80 a day, relying on a heated blanket at night because it costs just 3p an hour.
His frustrations extend to essential services, where he feels penalised for not being online. After turning 80, his car insurance quote skyrocketed from under £1,000 to £5,200. "What society doesn’t understand is that we are not all used to gadgets and gizmos. It can be confusing," he said.
A Nationwide Pattern of Hardship
Roger's experience is far from isolated. The Age UK research, part of its "Crisis Hiding in Plain Sight" campaign, found that a third of over-65s are using less electricity this winter, while 35% are turning their heating down. The charity warns that 1.9 million pensioners already live in poverty, a figure set to surpass two million in the coming years unless action is taken.
Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK, stated: "As a country we need to do a lot more to tackle poverty among older people, a social ill set to worsen as our population ages we fear, unless something changes and soon."
Urgent Call to Claim Vital Support
A critical issue identified is the large number of older people missing out on financial help they are entitled to, often because they assume they won't qualify or find the application process daunting. In 2025 alone, Age UK's national advice line helped identify over £36 million in unclaimed support for 6,006 people, averaging £5,900 per person.
The charity is urgently calling on every pensioner to check their eligibility for benefits, especially Pension Credit, which tops up income and acts as a gateway to further help. "For any older person trying to live on a small retirement income, every single pound counts," emphasised Abrahams. Age UK's ambition for 2026 is to help even more people access this crucial financial lifeline.
