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Reports and briefings

We publish reports and briefings on a vast range of topics, including loneliness, age-friendly banking and social care.

Active communities

We believe that everybody should be able to play a full role in our communities, whether this is through work, volunteering or civil action, helped by age-friendly neighbourhoods, good transport links and digital technology that meets our needs.

2024

Briefing: Facts and figures about digital inclusion and older people

Help with housing costs - how can you apply if you are not online? 

2023

Applying for a Blue Badge and other council services if people are not online

2021

Policy Briefing: Living in a digital world after Covid-19 the experience of older people who don’t live their lives online

Digital inclusion and older people – how have things changed in a Covid-19 world?

2020

Lapsed users report, March

2019

Estimating needs report, November

2018

The Economic Contribution of Older People (398KB)

Everything is online nowadays (800 KB)

2017

Painful Journeys in-depth policy report, December (2 MB)

Creating a 'Career MOT at 50' discussion paper, October (493 KB)

Making intergenerational connections - evidence review, June (1.4 MB)

Behind the headlines report: Why the employment rate does not tell the whole story about working longer, April (556 KB)

Age-friendly business report, February (495 KB)

2016

Housing benefit cuts and supported housing briefing, January (109 KB)

Older people and power loss: floods and storms report, February (568 KB)

Free bus pass briefing, February (270 KB)

Zero hours contracts briefing, May (524 KB)

Age-friendly places guide, June (282 KB)

Walking the tightrope: the challenges of combining work and care in later life report, July (1,384 KB)

After the EU Referendum: Policy priorities for older people briefing, September (213 KB)

Transport infrastructure briefing, September (188 KB)

Helping 50+ jobseekers back to work report, November (1,091 KB)

2015

Age Opportunity, A best practice guide for recruiters briefing (114 KB)

Life Offline: What life is like for older people who don’t use the internet report, May (3,106 KB)

The Future of Transport in an Ageing Society report, June (690 KB)

Researching Age-Friendly Communities report: Stories from older people as co-investigators, July (8,025 KB)

Later life in a digital world, December (1,060 KB)

Earlier reports

A means to many ends: Older workers' experiences of flexible working, September 2012 (3,767 KB)

The impact of the age regulations five years on briefing, October 2011 (353 KB)

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Care and support

We're looking at how wider public services and society at large ensure that everyone is able to stay as independent as possible within their community.

2022

Why can't I get care: Older people's experiences of care and support, November 2022 (PDF, 3 MB)

2020

Time to bring our care workers in from the cold, November 2020 (PDF, 3 MB)

Behind the headlines: Why in-person care home visiting must get going again, December 2020 (PDF, 454 KB)

2019

Care Deserts: the impact of a dysfunctional market in adult social care provision, May 2019 (PDF, 3 MB)

2018

'Why call it care when nobody cares?' September 2018 (PDF, 7 MB)

Behind the Headlines: the battle to get care at home, June 2018 (PDF, 300 KB)

2017

The health and care of older people in England report, February 2017 (2.1 MB)

Social care and what MPs can do briefing, July 2017 (PDF, 253 KB)

2016

Behind the Headlines: Are older people to blame for delayed hospital discharge? March 2016 (PDF, 232 KB)

Discharging older people from hospital briefing, June 2016 (PDF, 275 KB)

2015

The cost to meet unmet social care needs of older people in England, September 2015 (PDF, 386 KB)

The end of formal adult social care report, December 2015 (PDF, 1.2 MB)

2014

Services for older people - what works, March 2014 (PDF, 1.6 MB)

Earlier reports

Care in Crisis report, 2014 (PDF, 751 KB)

Supporting older carers, September 2013 (PDF, 489 KB)

Diversity in older people and access to services evidence review, 2012 (PDF, 1.2 MB)

Health care quality for an active later life report, May 2012 (3.9 MB)

Invisible but Invaluable: Campaigning for greater support for older carers, October 2010 (1.6 MB)

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Equality and human rights
Health and wellbeing

We're working to see more and more of us living well in later life, with access to high quality health and care services when we need them.

2024

Age UK Report – It's a struggle to be seen, May 2024

Age UK Report – I just feel that no one cares, March 2024

Age UK Report – We have to take it one day at a time, January 2024

2023

Age UK Briefing – State of Health and Care of older people, July 2023

Age UK Report – Fixing the foundations, February 2023

2021

Loneliness and Covid-19, December 2021

The Impact of COVID-19 on older people's mental and physical health: one year on

2020

Health, care and cash: Improving the lives of older people in Red Wall England, October

2019

Age UK Briefing – State of Health and Care of Older People, July 2019

More Harm Than Good

2018

Promising Approaches to Living Well with Dementia, February 2018

2017

Painful Journeys in-depth policy report, December 2017

The health and care of older people in England report, February

 

2016

Predicting the prevalence of loneliness at older ages report, January (1,171 KB)

Excess winter deaths briefing for MPs, June (398 KB)

Hidden in plain sight: The unmet mental health needs of older people report, October (1,089 KB)

No one should have no one report, October (636 KB)

2015

Improving later life for people with sight loss, RNIB summary (708 KB)

Improving later life for people with sight loss, RNIB full report (1,229 KB)

Promising approaches to reducing loneliness and isolation in later life report, January (1,546 KB)

Improving later life: Vulnerability and resilience in older people report, April (629 KB)

Lonelines in later life evidence review, June (881 KB)

Loneliness at local and neighbourhood level report, July (279 KB)

The Age UK almanac of disease profiles in later life, October (2,146 KB)

2014

Understanding the lives of older people living with frailty report, March (1,626 KB)

Cognitive decline and dementia evidence review, October (767 KB)

NHS Five Year Forward View report, October (912 KB)

What is preventing progress? Time to move from talk to action on reducing preventable illness, November (709 KB)

I'm Still Me: A narrative for coordinated support for older people, December (1,405 KB)

Services for older people - what works, March (1.6 MB)

Earlier reports

Improving Later Life: Understanding the oldest old, February 2013 (1,225 KB)

End of Life Evidence Review, October 2013 (646 KB)

Health care quality for an active later life, May 2013 (3,937 KB)

Securing dignity in care for older people in hospitals and care homes, June 2012 (974 KB)

Healthy ageing evidence review, April 2011 (2, 474 KB)

Improving later life: Ageing well, July 2011 (2,182 KB)

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Money matters

We cover state and private pensions, welfare benefits, poverty and financial disadvantage, banking and financial services.

2024

Poverty and financial disadvantage in later life, May 2024

Benefit take-up and older people, May 2024

2023

Tackling the cost of living crisis for older people: What the Government must do, July 2023

'You can’t bank on it anymore' – The impact of the rise of online banking on older people, May 2023

Waiting for an age: The real impact of raising the State Pension age, January 2023

2021

Behind the Headlines: Short-changed – how the decline of cash is affecting older people

Ethnicity and financial disadvantage in later life

2019

Fixing the freedoms – helping smaller savers get the most out of the pension reforms

Behind the headlines: the age gap tax

Struggling on – experiences of financial hardship in later life

Benefit changes for mixed-age couples, February

2018

Women's pensions, expenditure and decision-making in retirement

The Age UK 'Your Money MOT' impact evaluation

Financial resilience during retirement – Summary (600 KB)

Financial resilience during retirement – Stage 2: Qualitative research with retired people, January (1 MB) 

2017

Financial resilience during retirement – Stage one: Literature review, November (854 KB)

Spring Budget briefing, March (176 KB)

Financial Guidance and Claims Bill briefing, July (173 KB)

Triple lock briefing, July (383 KB)

Autumn Budget Briefing, September (425 KB)

2016

Age-friendly banking report, April (2,070 KB)

Age-friendly banking infographic (46 KB)

Bank branch closure briefing, August (170 KB)

Attendance Allowance survey report, September (710 KB)

Autumn Statement briefing, October (507 KB)

Working later, waiting longer: The impact of rising State Pension age report, November (2,874 KB)

2015

The Winter fuel payment briefing, April (358 KB)

Age UK's Chief Economist's report, Summer (902 KB)

Attitudes to a secondary annuity market survey report, July (387 KB)

Financial abuse evidence review, November (748 KB)

Earlier reports

Dashboards and jam-jars: Defined Contribution pension pots and retirement income report, December 2014 (2,443 KB)

Poverty in later life evidence review, 2014 (763 KB)

Neighbourhood effects and pension protection amongst ethnic minorities, September 2014 (351 KB)

Building an income for retirement report, September 2014 (5,733 KB)

Ethnicity and occupational pension membership in the UK report, September 2014 (527 KB)

Pension receipt in the UK, September 2014 (319 KB)

Transitions in older age, December 2013 (316 KB)

Problem Debt Among Older People, June 2013 (456 KB)

Financial Services Commission

Age UK held a commission on financial services. The commission looked at how to improve financial resilience in later life with the aim of setting out a roadmap of actions to be taken by the industry, regulators and Government.

The Financial Services Commission report sets out our roadmap for industry, Government and regulators to take to improve the financial resilience of our ageing society.

Financial resilience in later life report, June (981 KB)

Accompanying the report are supporting pieces of research and provocations:

Generation R report: risk, resilience, ready for ageing? June (674 KB)

The financial resilience of the recently retired, Pensions Policy Institue report, June (399 KB)

Roundtable discussion: is it too late to save? Financial Services Commission presentation, December (364 KB)

What next for generation R? Resolution Foundation briefing, December (328 KB)

Resilience of recent retirees, Just Retirement briefing, January (256 KB)

RImproving income for recently retired, Mercer briefing, June (PDF 33 KB)

Later older age: how do you maintain control and stay financially included? Toynbee Hall briefing, March (PDF 316 KB)

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Safe at home
  1. We’re working to ensure that everyone can live in accessible, warm and energy-efficient housing, free from scams and crime.

2024

Policy briefing: Disabled Facilities Grant, April 2024

Scams Prevention and Support Programme Report: Empowering Older People in a Fraud Epidemic, April 2024

Cold at home: How winter cost of living pressures continue to impact older people, February 2024

Estimating the number of households in the UK that would not have experienced fuel stress during the winter of 2023-24 had an energy social tariff been in place, January 2024

2023

Distributional impact of differing proposals for introducing an Energy Social Tariff, June 2023

Age UK Energy Social Tariff Public Policy Report, March 2023

2022

Estimating the number of off-gas grid homes in England using alternative fuels for heating that are eligible for the Home Upgrade Grant (HUG), November 2022

Estimating the cost of a Social Tariff for energy use at home, October 2022

Estimating the impact of the Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) on older households in England, September 2022

Estimating the impact of the October 2022 energy price cap rise on older households in England, August 2022

Estimating the impact of rising prices on older households in the UK in 2022-23, May

Estimating the number of older households in England not to receive the £150 council tax rebate in April 2022

Estimating the impact of the April 2022 energy price cap rise on older households in England

2019

Home Truths: Rebutting 10 myths about building accessible housing

2018

Applying the brakes, March (834 KB)

2017

Older people, fraud and scams briefing, October (2.5 MB)

2016

Are we ready for the next crisis: Older people and power loss, floods and storms, February (568 KB)

Scamming and its effect on vulnerable individuals briefing, September (239 KB)

Ageing in squalor and distress: older people in the private rented sector, October (667 KB)

2015

Only the tip of the iceberg: Fraud against older people, April (1,329 KB)

Gearing up: Housing Associations’ responses to tenants with dementia, October (303 KB)

2014

Housing in later life, July (1,529 KB)

Fear of crime, March (600 KB)

Earlier reports

Affordability of retirement housing in the UK, September 2012 (1,035 KB)

Making it work for us: A residents’ inquiry into sheltered and retirement housing, October 2012 (1,904 KB)

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Last updated: Oct 05 2020

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