An ice sculpture of an older person on a low income sitting in a cold home appeared outside The Tate Modern in London on Wednesday, February 12. The man represented all the people in later life living in financial hardship who cannot afford to heat their homes. The ice sculpture was based on a real person, Rob Trewhella, 68, from Cornwall, who had to quit his job as a taxi driver due to health reasons. He missed out on Pension Credit by £2.80 and lost his Winter Fuel Payment.

The idea came from Truant London for later life financial hardship charity, Independent Age. Its aim was to tackle the stereotype that all older people are enjoying a comfortable retirement and to highlight the actions that are needed to support older people on a low income better. 

Research by Independent Age before winter arrived found that 23% of older people in England who are losing their Winter Fuel Payment will not turn on their heating this winter. Last year, the charity received a 302% increase in calls to its helpline following the change to the Winter Fuel Payment. 

Independent Age is urging the UK Government to review the financial threshold of the Winter Fuel Payment immediately to ensure more older people on low incomes receive the support, ensure everyone in later life gets the money they are entitled to through the social security system and establish a consensus on the adequate income needed in later life to avoid living in financial hardship and create a plan to ensure everyone receives this. The charity is also asking energy companies to promote the discounts they currently provide to older people in financial hardship better, and for the UK Government to introduce a single social tariff for energy to protect those in later life on low incomes from future spikes in costs. 

There are currently around two million older people living in poverty and another million on the edge. An estimated 1.7 million older people were predicted not to turn on their heating this winter due to rising costs