Mark Whitehead 01 September 2017

Charity warns millions of pensioners living below the poverty line

A quarter of pensioners are facing financial problems with many unable to meet unexpected expenses or keep their homes warm, according to Age UK.

The charity says pensioner poverty is 'still a huge problem' with nearly three million over-65s in financial difficulty.

It says last year the number of pensioners living below the poverty line rose to 1.9 million.

A million would be unable to meet an unexpected expense of £200 or replace a cooker if it broke down, while more than half a million are unable to keep their homes adequately warm.

Age UK says research shows the older a person is the more likely they are to face problems, and single pensioners and people renting their property are most at risk.

Caroline Abrahams of Age UK said: 'With so many older people worried about being hard up it is certainly not ‘job done’ when it comes to ending pensioner poverty.'

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