A new report, essential reading for those concerned with older people's
welfare:
Parker, H. (ed) (2000) Low Cost but Acceptable Incomes for Older People: A
minimum income standard for households aged 54-74 years in the UK, Bristol:
Policy Press.
166 pp, price £19.99 ISBN 1 86134 214 4
Research: Michael Nelson, Nina Oldfield, Julie Dallison, Sandra Hutton,
Barbara Hegan, Sophia Paterakis, Holly Sutherland, Marilyn Thirlway
How much does it cost older people, living in the UK, to reach an acceptable
living standard and avoid social exclusion?
The report aims to:
* stimulate debate about the incomes required to avoid poverty.
* inform government decision making.
* introduce readers to the method of calculating living costs called budget
standards.
Living costs of men and women aged 65-74 years are estimated, at a standard
called Low Cost but Acceptable (LCA) and defined as the poverty threshold.
Budgets are presented for single women, single men and couples, both as
local authority tenants and as owner occupiers (at January 1999).
The report has essential information for individuals and organisations
concerned with the well-being of older people, including: central and local
government; the pensions industry; employers; residential homes; social
services; trade unions; voluntary organisations; and older people
themselves.
Outside the UK, budget standards serve as benchmarks for social policy,
personal taxation, life insurance, pensions, money advice, debt orders and
many other purposes. The most widely used standard, called
Modest-But-Adequate (MBA) or Reasonable, measures the standard at which most
people aim: well clear of poverty, but well below affluence. In 1995 and
1997, the Family Budget Unit produced pensioner budgets at MBA level and
found it beyond the reach of most UK older people.
LCA is sufficient to provide a healthy diet, material security, social
participation and a sense of control. Accepted standards for nutrition,
housing, warmth, clothing and personal care are used. The food budgets were
prepared in the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, King's College
London; and the research was assisted by discussion groups composed of
low-income adults from the relevant age groups. First the required
expenditures for each household type are calculated, then they are compared
with incomes obtained from Income Support (IS) and National Insurance (NI)
pensions.
Having calculated older people's requirements to avoid poverty, and having
shown income shortfalls of up to £80 a week (for couples receiving the basic
NI pension), the report concludes with four main policy recommendations:
1 Swift action by government To show the goods and services social
security benefits will buy
2 A national debate On living costs and living standards
3 Cross-party support For scientific estimates of human need.
4 Living standard impact statements To accompany all policy
proposals.
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