Three Budget priorities for older people

Age Scotland has written to First Minister John Swinney to highlight three key areas the charity believes must be included in the Scottish Government’s next Budget.

Ahead of the Budget next week, the charity is urging the Scottish Government to support older people by taking the following actions:

• Offer financial support for energy bills
• Increase funding in social care 
• Dedicate more money to tackle loneliness  

Age Scotland’s Chief Executive, Katherine Crawford, said: 

“The challenges facing our ageing population are significant and requires bold action from government to improve the quality of life for older people, protect their independence, and ensure they can live with dignity and security. 

“With so many older people struggling with the removal of the universal Winter Fuel Payment, we believe the Scottish Government should reintroduce this payment next winter to all pension-age households through the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment. The Scottish Government should also consider how to introduce a cold area premium to boost the Winter Heating Payment for those on income related social security. 

“While we still believe reform of the social care system is essential, people cannot wait until that happens for services to improve and availability to increase. Scotland needs a significant, and sustainable increase in social care funding to ensure that all older and disabled people have access to the support they need to live independently and with dignity in their own homes. 

“In order to tackle the scourge of loneliness affecting older people across Scotland, the government must look beyond the current, planned spending and allocate more funding to tackle loneliness by scaling up successful programmes, social support networks, and projects that help older people build connections in their communities. 

“We hope the Scottish Government seriously consider these issues in preparation for the 2025/26 Budget as they will make a huge difference in the lives of older people, ensuring they are not left behind.”

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Notes to editors: 

Letter reads: 

Dear First Minister,  

Age Scotland’s Budget Priorities for Older People in Scotland  

I am writing on behalf of Age Scotland, the Scottish charity for older people, to highlight three key areas that we believe must be included in the Scottish Government’s next budget.   

The challenges facing our ageing population are significant and requires bold action from government to improve the quality of life for older people, protect their independence, and ensure they can live with dignity and security.  

1. Financial Support for Energy Bills  
   Winter heating costs remain a significant burden for many older people, particularly those on low and modest fixed incomes. Pensioners are the group most affected by fuel poverty in Scotland and levels of extreme fuel poverty have more than doubled to 24%. We aren’t doing enough to support them. The removal of the universal entitlement to the Winter Heating Payment by the UK Government is disastrous and will make life for hundreds of thousands of pensioners in Scotland even harder. We believe the Scottish Government should reintroduce this payment next winter to all pension-age households through the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment, removing the incredibly low threshold of Pension Credit for support which misses 85% of pensioners in or near poverty.  This could be paid for by using less than 5% of the Barnett consequentials recently announced in the UK Budget. The Scottish Government should also consider how to introduce a cold area premium to boost the Winter Heating Payment for those on income related social security. 
2. Increase in Funding for Social Care  
   Access to good quality social care remains one of the most pressing issues facing older people in Scotland. Many face long waits for vital care services, and unpaid carers are under increasing pressure. Adequate funding to support both public and private care providers, as well as community-based services, is essential. While we still believe reform of the social care system is essential, people cannot wait until that happens for services to improve and availability to increase. Scotland needs a significant, and sustainable increase in social care funding to ensure that all older and disabled people have access to the support they need to live independently and with dignity in their own homes. 
3. More Money to Tackle Loneliness  
   Loneliness and social isolation have a profound impact on the mental and physical health of the nation. More than half of older people experience it and 1 in 10 are chronically lonely. We see first hand how critical it is to provide opportunities for older Scots to connect with others. We have already written to you about this with our Big Braw Community partners, The Sunday Post, outlining why more money to tackle loneliness is vital. Again, we would urge you to look beyond the current, planned spending and allocate more funding to tackle loneliness by scaling up successful programmes, social support networks, and projects that help older people build connections in their communities. A greater national focus on reducing loneliness will not only improve health outcomes but also enhance the wellbeing of people of all ages across the country.  

We ask that these issues are given serious consideration as you prepare your 2025/26 Budget as they will make a huge difference in the lives of older people, ensuring they are not left behind.  

We look forward to your response and to working with you to ensure that Scotland is a place where older people are valued, supported, and empowered.  

Yours sincerely,  

Katherine Crawford  
Chief Executive  
Age Scotland