Tag: elderly

Bishop of Coventry speaks in debate on preparing for an aging society

The Bishop of Coventry spoke in a debate on an aging society, emphasising the importance of valuing the elderly, on 4th September 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Coventry: My Lords, I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on this important issue, and I thank the Economic Affairs Committee for its thorough and timely report. As we consider the prospect of a society where the people of older age vastly outnumber younger people, it is vital that we avoid framing our discussion primarily around the burden of the old to the young. We must continue to emphasise that the value of a person cannot be reduced to their fiscal contribution to the state, although I very much understand the pressures. As the report rightly notes, increased life expectancy is a welcome gift and one of the considerable achievements of modern society. I note that, when I began ordained ministry in 1997, I regularly conducted funerals for people in their 60s and 70s; decades on, they were much more frequently for people in their 80s and 90s.

Continue reading “Bishop of Coventry speaks in debate on preparing for an aging society”

Bishop of Southwark asks about impact of benefit cuts on vulnerable groups

The Bishop of Southwark asked a question on benefit cuts impacting the vulnerable and disabled on 12th June 2025, following a government statement on the Winter Fuel Payment:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: My Lords, like other Peers, I welcome this decision. The other day, I asked the Minister something to which he did not respond, and I wonder if I might ask it again. Is one of the lessons learned from this for the Government that, should they be making further cuts in spending, they might not look to vulnerable or disabled people.

Continue reading “Bishop of Southwark asks about impact of benefit cuts on vulnerable groups”

Bishop of Southwark asks about impact of future benefit cuts on the vulnerable and disabled

The Bishop of Southwark asked a question on the restoration of winter fuel payments to the elderly on 10th June 2025, asking the government to confirm they would not introduce further cuts impacting vulnerable or disabled people:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: My Lords, I welcome the reversal of the decision on winter fuel payments, having spoken, like others, cautioning against so many pensioners who are vulnerable and in need being deprived of it—not against the principle of changing it and restricting it to some degree. I just wonder whether, in terms of lessons learned, a more general principle might be acknowledged that in future cuts, the Government will not look to making them from vulnerable or disabled people.

Continue reading “Bishop of Southwark asks about impact of future benefit cuts on the vulnerable and disabled”

Bishop of St Albans asks about promotion of broadband social tariffs for the elderly

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 13th December 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to increase their promotion of social tariffs in areas of deprivation in the light of the finding that many older people are unaware of social tariffs, particularly in the broadband sector, in the report A constant struggle: The impact of high household costs on older people facing financial hardship, published by Independent Age in September.

Viscount Camrose (Con, Department for Science, Innovation & Technology): The Government has worked closely with internet service providers to ensure provision of social tariffs for those on Universal Credit and other means tested benefits – including Pension Credit.

Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about promotion of broadband social tariffs for the elderly”

Bishop of St Albans asks about accessible housing

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 17th October 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that new builds are accessible to older people and people with disabilities.

Baroness Swinburne (Con, Department for Levelling-up, Housing & Communities): I refer the Lord Bishop to the answer given to Question UIN HL8422(opens in a new tab) on 26 June 2023.

Hansard

Levelling Up & Regeneration Bill: Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich supports development of housing for older people

On 18th April 2023, the Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich spoke in support of amendments to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill regarding the importance of housing for older people:

The Lord Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich: I shall speak very briefly in support of the group of amendments, on none of which would I dare wish to claim to be an agnostic. I particularly support Amendment 207 proposed by the noble Lord, Lord Best, to which my colleague the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Chelmsford has added her name. The amendment addresses the important role of local authorities to consider older groups’ housing needs when developing local plans. Together with Amendment 221 from the noble Lord, Lord Best, these changes to the Bill would deliver a more effective response to the shortfall in appropriate housing for older people at all levels of government.

Continue reading “Levelling Up & Regeneration Bill: Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich supports development of housing for older people”

Archbishop calls for a reimagining of the adult social care system

On 30th March 2023 the House of Lords debated adult social care. The Archbishop of Canterbury drew attention to the recent report from the Archbishops’ Commission on Reimagining Social Care.

The Archbishop of Canterbury: My Lords, I am very grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Andrews, for securing this important debate, for her Select Committee’s outstanding report on adult social care and for including the recent report of the Archbishops’ Commission on Reimagining Care in the debate title. I am also very grateful to my noble friend the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Carlisle, who co-chaired the commission. He will be addressing some of its specific recommendations later. I would like to speak about the motivation for its commissioning by the most reverend Prelate the Archbishop of York and myself.

Continue reading “Archbishop calls for a reimagining of the adult social care system”

Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill: Bishop of Manchester supports housing needs assessments for older people

On 22nd March 2023, the House of Lords debated amendments to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill. The Bishop of Manchester, on behalf of the Bishop of Chelmsford, spoke in support of an amendment to the bill that would require local authorities to being forward an assessment of the local need for housing for older people as part of their housing plans:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, I support Amendment 221 in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Best, to which, as he indicated, my right reverend friend the Bishop of Chelmsford added her name. She apologises for being unable to be in her place today; in my own brief remarks, I will make a number of points that she would have contributed had she been here. I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Young of Cookham, who, like the noble Lord, Lord Best, has a long and honourable history of leading the thinking on housing matters in this land.

I declare my interest in housing for older people: as set out in the register, I am a board member of the Wythenshawe Community Housing Group. In fact, it is more than an interest; it is a passion. In my time as chair of the association, we have opened a flagship development of 135 apartments for older people with mixed rental, shared ownership and outright purchase. Developments such as this enable local people to live in dignity in old age. They provide social space as well as private dwellings. In many cases, they allow residents to remain close to their family networks and former neighbours—the support networks that they need in later life. We can do well for older people but that should not have to rely on episcopal passion or potluck. It needs to be part of how we plan housing provision at a strategic level.

Continue reading “Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill: Bishop of Manchester supports housing needs assessments for older people”

Bishop of Exeter speaks on healthcare in rural areas

The Bishop of Exeter spoke in a debate on healthcare in rural areas on 23rd February 2023, emphasising the need to address challenges in staff retention in the NHS and the care service:

The Lord Bishop of Exeter: My Lords, I begin by thanking the noble Baroness, Lady McIntosh, for securing this important debate. We all acknowledge that the NHS is operating under enormous pressure at the present time. Perhaps inevitably, publicity focuses on our inner cities but, as we have been hearing this afternoon, rural communities are also pinch points. My own county of Devon has the second-oldest population in the country. We should not underestimate the challenge, both logistical and financial, of delivering healthcare to an ageing population, particularly in coastal communities and remote rural areas.

In his 2021 report on coastal communities and their patchy provision of medical services, the Chief Medical Officer for England observed that some

“of the most beautiful … and historically important places”,

including in the south-west region,

“have some of the worst health outcomes in England, with low life expectancy and high rates of many major diseases”.

Continue reading “Bishop of Exeter speaks on healthcare in rural areas”

Bishop of St Albans asks about support for vulnerable elderly people using online financial services

On 30th November 2021, the Bishop of St Albans asked a question on the support and education available for elderly people accessing online financial services:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, with increasing numbers of bank branches being closed on high streets and the impact of Covid, the elderly vulnerable are having to negotiate the choppy waters of online banking like everybody else, in an environment where there are large numbers of online scams and frauds. What are Her Majesty’s Government doing to offer training and resources to try to protect the elderly vulnerable as they engage with online financial services?

Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about support for vulnerable elderly people using online financial services”