CSPA Campaigning
Commissioner for Older People
The support people need in later life is critical, but no single government department can respond to these needs alone, especially as our population ages.
As part of Later Life Ambitions we are calling for:
The UK Government to create a Commissioner for Older People
and Ageing for England and Scotland.
Why we need a Commissioner...
Older people must have a voice to ensure governments address the policy challenges they face in a way that best suits their needs. All too often, this is not the case; in 2022, Age Scotland found that ‘only one in five older people feel valued for their contribution to society, while more than a third feel that life is getting worse for older people.’
Without a single, authoritative voice to speak up and advocate for older people, the issues faced by over-65s can easily be ignored or simply overlooked by decision-makers. Older people in England and Scotland need a commissioner.
The manifesto: What we're campaigning for
As part of Later Life Ambitions we are calling for:
The UK Government, to follow examples set by Northern Ireland and Wales, to create a Commissioner for Older People and Ageing for England and Scotland.
The Commissioner would hold the UK and Scottish governments to account, and provide a voice for older people
An Older People’s Commissioner in Action
An older people’s commissioner speaks for those in later life and brings them tangible benefits.
In Northern Ireland, Older People’s Commissioner Eddie Lynch recently secured a landmark legal win for older people.
The Commissioner took the case of 75-year-old quadriplegic man, who lives with multiple sclerosis and other complex healthcare needs, to the High Court. Under the Continuing Healthcare Policy, the man had been self-funding his healthcare in a care home; in Northern Ireland, under the Continuing Healthcare Policy, older people with assets worth more than £23,250 must pay for their social care. Those with fewer assets instead receive treatment in hospital, free of charge.
Considering the case, a judge ruled that the man was unfairly refused free hospital treatment, and called on the Northern Ireland Department of Health to adopt a revised policy that determines whether care should be provided in a hospital or care home based on need, not money.
Partner organisations
We are not the only organisation campaigning for the creation of a Commissioner for Older People in Scotland and Englad.
If is an area that one of our trusted partners, Independent Age, have been campaigning strongly for.
Click below to read their full campagin activity and see how you can help support the call for a Commissioner.
Campaign Activity
Later Life Ambitions
Later Life Ambitions brings together the collective voices of over a quarter of a million pensioners through the National Federation of Occupational Pensioners, the Civil Service Pensioners’ Alliance, and the National Association of Retired Police Officers Association.
We aim to encourage today’s decision makers to confront the challenges of tomorrow.
