Dame Arlene, 81, has taken aim at the appalling way Britain’s pensioners are treated (Image: Getty Images)
The number of pensioners using food banks has reached “devastating” levels, prompting a furious broadside at the way OAPs have been left to suffer in the depths of winter.
Damning data shows the number of emergency parcels distributed to people aged 65 and over has increased by 291% in the last five years – far higher than any other age group.
The snapshot comes from Trussell, the anti-poverty charity and community of food banks providing emergency and practical support for people left without enough money to live on.
The statistics are the latest to lay bare how millions of lonely and needy old folk have been abandoned by the Government.
Trussell supporter, West End choreographer and theatre director Dame Arlene Phillips said: “It is devastating that Trussell has seen such a huge rise in people over 65 having no choice but to turn to food banks in the last five years.
“This is especially concerning as we are in the depths of winter, which is the busiest time of year for food banks. With temperatures dropping, bills will be rising and people will be forced to make impossible decisions between eating or heating their homes.”
Trussell distributed 47,700 parcels solely for OAPs between April and September.
Overall, nearly one quarter of children under four face hunger and hardship while a record 9.3 million people in the UK now face hunger and hardship.
In the past year, 3.1 million emergency food parcels have been provided by food banks to people facing hardship across the UK with the level of need growing exponentially as people simply do not have enough money to get by.
Former Strictly favourite Dame Arlene says no OAP should suffer the indignity of hunger (Image: File)
Lancashire-born mum-of-two Dame Arlene, 81, a judge on between 2004 and 2008, said: “I know first-hand that everyone’s circumstances can change and leave them unable
to afford the essentials we all need to get by like food, bills and toiletries. When I was 15, my mum passed away from leukaemia, so I had to look after siblings when my dad was often unwell. This meant that growing up I often went without, whether that was cutting back on essentials or missing time at school to help at home, and I have never forgotten how difficult it was.
“It’s not right that pensioners are having to turn to food banks to survive. Pensioners are more likely to experience long-term health conditions and social isolation which can exacerbate the challenges of living on a low income. The Government must update our social security system so it acts as the safety net it is supposed to be and protects people from hunger and hardship.”
The nationwide crisis comes as the brutal decision to axe OAP winter fuel payments sparks panic over rising energy costs.
Charity Age UK says 6.6 million pensioners will be forced to turn down or reduce the hours they use heating at home and a further 1.2 million slash the number of hot meals they eat to keep their heads above water this winter.
Dame Arlene, 81, has blasted inaction over pensioner poverty (Image: Trussell)
The stark reality facing those who have had their £300 annual payments snatched away comes after analysis showed at least 100,000 will be plunged into poverty in 2026/27 as a result of the benefit cull. Campaigners say Britain is sleepwalking towards a crisis where older people, already on low and modest incomes, face a perfect storm of extremely high energy bills and ill health.
Sumi Rabindrakumar, Head of Policy and Research at Trussell, said: “Overall pensioners are very underrepresented at food banks compared with working age families. However, the number of emergency food parcels from the Trussell community going to people aged 65 and over during April to September has nearly quadrupled since 2019. We cannot stand by while so many of us are pushed to the brink, left without enough money to live on.
“A large number of pensioners who are experiencing hardship are still eligible to receive their winter fuel payments, but they need to be registered for Pension Credit.
“However, around 800,000 people who are eligible [for Pension Credit] are currently not receiving it, and this is reflective of the situation across much of the social security support available where the system is so complex that people struggle to access the financial help that they are eligible for.
“Food banks are not the solution to hunger and hardship in the UK and cannot take the place of a social security system that should be there for the people that need the most support.”