Arun pensioner boom adds to strain on services

Figures released by the Government today (Thursday, December 30) predict the percentage of residents over the age of 65 living in the district will grow by 12.1 per cent by 2033, from 26.7 to 36.8 per cent, maintaining Arun’s position as having the greatest proportion of pensioners in its population of any West Sussex local authority.

Diane Henderson, chief executive of Age UK West Sussex, based in Littlehampton, said the impact of cuts to both the voluntary sector and local authorities, coupled with this rise, could leave elderly and vulnerable people without the resources they need.

“We are already seeing the strain, with West Sussex County Council consulting on not providing social care until people are in substantial need, rather than the moderate need that it is at the moment.

“With limited resources, and with a more than 10 per cent increase in the number of older people, money will have to go round more people, I think there will have to be a move to providing crisis support rather that prevention support.”

This, she said, could prove more costly in the long run.

“If fall prevention advice services had to be cut to save money, for example, it would only prove more expensive. Falls are very costly, because of the care and support people need afterwards.”

As retirement ages rise in the coming years, to 66 for men and women by 2016, she added, more over 65 year olds will be in employment.

“I think that we have to have a glass half full attitude, If there are going to be a lot more older people, then a lot of these will be fitter and more active. The average age of our volunteers at the moment is 80.

“So, we need to be encouraging people to keep fit, to eat their five a day etc. now, so that this increase is not felt too heavily.”

The Department for Work and Pensions figures predict that more than 10m people in the UK today, 17 per cent of the population, can expect to live to their 100th birthday.

Pensions minister Steve Webb said: “These figures really bring home how important it is to plan ahead for our later lives. Many millions of us will be spending around a third of our lives or more in retirement.”