News

(16 August 2022) The savings and incomes of older persons could lose 15-20% of their spending power by the end of 2023 putting many older persons at risk of poverty unless the Government takes action in Budget 2023 warns Age Action, Ireland’s leading advocacy agency on older persons and ageing.

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Age Action Calls for €23 Increase in the State Pension

(Tuesday 26 July 2022)

Budget 2023 – No Ordinary Budget for Extraordinary Times

Age Action Calls for €23 Increase in the State Pension

Age Action, Ireland’s leading advocacy organisation on ageing and older persons, is calling for a €23 increase in the State Pension saying that Budget 2023 cannot be an ordinary budget. Age Action argues that Budget 2023 needs to deliver an evidence-based increase in the State Pension that is poverty-proofed and equality-proofed – a €23 increase in the State Pension is the minimum amount required to maintain the State Pension’s spending power. The reality of high price inflation is that the full rate contributory State Pension will lose €22.80 in spending power in 2022 and will further lose spending power in 2023 as inflation will still be high.

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Age Action Calls for Stakeholder Engagement on the State Pension Proposals

(Saturday 23 July2022)

Age Action welcomes the Taoiseach’s announcement of a plan to allow flexible access to the State Pension, but care is needed to ensure that the proposals are fair and do not reinforce existing inequalities in the system. Extensive stakeholder engagement is now needed on these new proposals.

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Age Action Welcomes Decision by AIB Not to Proceed With Cashless Branches

(Friday 22 July 2022) Responding to AIB’s announcement on Friday that they will not proceed with their plan to remove cash services from 70 branches, Celine Clarke Head of Advocacy and Communications at Age Action said “Cash is king for people budgeting on low incomes or who are not online. Limiting their access to their cash puts those people at risk of debt. Forcing people to do their business online puts some older persons at risk of financial elder abuse."

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Age Action Welcomes An Taoiseach’s Call for AIB to Reconsider Cashless Branches

(Thursday 21 July 2022)

Age Action welcomes the high-level intervention today by the Taoiseach calling for AIB to reconsider and reflect on its announcement that 70 branches will become “cashless”.

Dr Nat O’Connor, Senior Public Affairs and Policy Specialist at Age Action said “Age Action has been contacted by many older persons who are dismayed that they will lose access to cash services in their local area. We know that many people manage their income through cash, literally putting aside amounts of money to cover different expenses. For the many people not using the internet, it is just not possible to keep track of cashless transactions and there is a risk of getting into debt that people just can’t afford when living on a modest State Pension. There is also a genuine risk of financial elder abuse for those people who are not online if they are forced to seek help to manage their financial affairs.”

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Joint NGO Statement on Energy Poverty

Press Release: Joint NGO Statement on Energy Poverty and Energy Pollution

Environmental and anti-poverty organisations join forces to call for common solutions to both energy poverty and climate pollution

The NGOs are calling for sweeping cross-Government action to simultaneously eliminate energy poverty and reduce Ireland’s polluting emissions by 51% by 2030

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Why We Need a Commissioner for Ageing and Older Persons

(15 June 2022) On World Elder Abuse Awareness Day Age Action is reiterating the call for the establishment of a Commissioner for Ageing and Older Persons, with a supporting legal framework, that will ensure that we are all treated with respect and on an equal basis with the rest of the population in older age.

3,871 notifications of abuse for persons aged over 65 was reported in the HSE’s National Safeguarding Report 2021. Immediate family members are identified as the person of concern in reported cases of abuse of people over the age of 65.

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Addressing Older Persons' Unmet Housing Needs

(26 May 2022) How do we address older persons' unmet housing needs now and ensure future needs are addressed?

That is the question discussed at the Simon Communities of Ireland, Simon Talks series, on 26 May. Key policy responses identified by Nat O'Connor, Age Action's Senior Public Affairs and Policy Specialist, included the need to implement universal design best practice across private and social housing, measures to provide security of tenure for renters as we see an increasing number of older people renting, financial products to faciltiate people who want to 'right size' their home and supports to enable people to adapt their home to meet their needs. In general, a rights based approach to the design and implementation of housing policy is needed to ensure housing adequacy for all of us as we age.

Watch Simon Talks' Addressing Older Persons' Unmet Housing Needs.

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Concerns about Proposed Amendments to the Fair Deal Scheme in Relation to Rental Income