Response to Autumn Statement

Responding to the Autumn Statement, Charity Director of Age UK, Caroline Abrahams, said:

On increased funding to the NHS

'The importance of the NHS to older people and to our country cannot be overstated and it is in all our interests that the service is resourced to function effectively and meet older people's needs.

'We welcome the additional funding committed today to the NHS as a first step in meeting the extra £8bn a year the NHS has itself calculated it requires by 2020.

'Age UK calls on every political party to commit to making this investment. However, each party must also recognise that additional investment in the NHS will fail to stabilise and sustain the service unless and until the social care funding gap is also filled.

'We know spending on social care has been cut by nearly £700m since 2010. Millions of older people, especially the over-85s, need social care as well as health care and it is morally indefensible as well as economically foolish to deprive them of it.

'Yet at present we know that almost 900,000 older people in England with a social care need are going without help of any kind and that their numbers are increasing day by day.'

-Ends-

Media contact: Liz Fairweather
Telephone: 0203 033 1718
Out-of-hours: 07071 243 243
For immediate release: Wednesday 3 December, 2014

Age UK

For media enquiries relating to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland please contact the appropriate national office: Age Scotland on 0131 668 8055, Age Cymru on 029 2043 1562 and Age NI on 028 9024 5729.

About Age UK

Age UK is the new force combining Age Concern and Help the Aged, dedicated to improving later life.

We provide free information, advice and support to over six million people; commercial products and services to well over one million customers; and research and campaign on the issues that matter to people in later life. Our work focuses on five key areas: money matters, health and wellbeing, home and care, work and training and leisure and lifestyle. We work with our national partners, Age Scotland, Age Cymru and Age NI (together the Age UK Family), our local Age UK partners in England and local Age Concerns. We also work internationally for people in later life as a member of the DEC and with our sister charity Help Age International.

Age UK is a charitable company limited by guarantee and registered in England (registered charity number 1128267 and company number 6825798). Age Concern England and Help the Aged (both registered charities), and their trading and other associated companies merged on the 1st April 2009. Together they have formed the Age UK Group ("we"). Charitable services are offered through Age UK and commercial products are offered by the Charity's trading companies, which donate their net profits to Age UK (the Charity).