Commissioner responds to new paper highlighting rising poverty amongst older people
Older People’s Commissioner for Wales, Rhian Bowen-Davies, said:
“It is deeply concerning that poverty amongst older people continues to rise, as highlighted in the most recent data shared by former Pensions Minister Steve Webb.
“The findings of his paper reflect the findings shared in my own report on poverty published in November 2025, particularly the extent to which poverty impacts upon older women and single households, providing further evidence of why we need far greater action to tackle this issue.
“This is something I have consistently called for, given the well-known and significant risks to older people’s health, well-being and independence caused by poverty.
“The Second Pension Commission, which is examining the future of the pensions system, offers real opportunities to ensure retirement incomes are sufficient and sustainable, and in my evidence to the Commission, I have set out a number of key principles that should underpin any recommended reforms.
“These include ensuring that Healthy life expectancy is central to decisions about State Pension age, that retirement income policy should take account of housing costs and wider living costs, and that pension policy should not deepen existing inequalities.
“However, as the work of the Commission is focused on delivering change in the longer-term, it’s also important we see immediate action to provide greater support to older people who are struggling financially.
“This means making it easier for older people to claim all of the financial support they are entitled to and ending the Pension Credit ‘cliff edge’, which results in people missing out on help that can be worth thousands of pounds a year.
“It also means taking action to address the causes of poverty, such as significantly improving energy efficiency in people’s homes, something particularly important here given that Wales has some of the oldest housing stock in Europe.
“In addition, I want Wales to establish a Resilience Fund to provide emergency assistance to older people, particularly those who are struggling financially but do not qualify for other forms of support.
“I have called on the Welsh Government to introduce this as a matter of urgency and I await their response, which I hope will take account of this latest evidence and the insights it provides into older people’s experiences of poverty and the reality a growing number of individuals are facing.
“Tackling poverty shouldn’t be seen as a cost, but rather an investment, which would boost the health and well-being of hundreds of thousands of older people across Wales. But more than this, it could also unlock tens of millions of pounds to improve services and communities by preventing costs associated with the crises that arise due to poverty, such as the estimated £40m cost to the NHS due to cold homes alone.
“That’s why I will continue to make the case for decisive, coordinated action both nationally and locally to tackle poverty, support older people and help create a fairer, healthier and more inclusive Wales.”
