Greater Manchester’s collaborative, cross-sector approach to tackling pensioner poverty has been spotlighted in a new report from the House of Commons Work and Pensions Select Committee.
The report, which follows an eight-month inquiry into pensioner hardship, draws heavily on contributions from the city region, from written evidence to in-person testimony and a dedicated roundtable with older people held at Manchester Town Hall.
It highlights Greater Manchester as a leading example of how coordinated local action can make a tangible difference in older people’s lives. It praises the joint efforts of local authorities, voluntary organisations and community groups, particularly in areas like housing, health, social care and benefit take-up.
Work to make Greater Manchester a great place to age well is being delivered through the city region’s ‘Live Well’ mission, as set out in the Greater Manchester Strategy, supporting people to live well at every stage of life, in every community.
One of the report’s key conclusions calls for a national, cross-government strategy for an ageing society and points to Greater Manchester as a working model of integrated support. The lack of a national framework, it warns, will affect progress in places like Greater Manchester, already showing what’s possible.
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said:
“The strength of Greater Manchester’s approach lies in what we call a ‘whole place’ way of working. When we agree on something here, everyone acts on it, the Combined Authority, local councils, health services, housing providers, and the community and voluntary sector. That shared commitment, all pulling in the same direction, is what really drives change.
“In reality, even older residents receiving all the benefits they’re entitled to are still struggling, especially if they don’t have a private pension. Many are living on a negative budget. That’s why local action alone isn’t enough, we need national leadership and a joined-up strategy for later life that matches the scale of the challenge.”
The report draws attention to the scale of unmet need in Greater Manchester, where pensioners are often living in poverty despite being eligible for financial help.
Paul McGarry, Head of the Greater Manchester Ageing Hub, said:
“Across Greater Manchester, all ten local authorities are working hard to make sure older residents are receiving every bit of financial support they’re entitled to.”
“We’ve built strong, long-standing partnerships to make that happen.”
“Despite those efforts, it’s still astounding to reveal there’s around £500 million in benefits and entitlements going unclaimed by pensioners in our area. That’s half a billion pounds that could be helping some of our poorest neighbourhoods, money that could make the difference between just getting by and living with dignity in later life.”
Voices from Greater Manchester helped shape key recommendations in the report, including calls for increased Pension Credit take-up, reform of the eligibility cliff-edge, and the establishment of a minimum income standard for a dignified retirement.
Arooj Shah, Leader of Oldham Council & Greater Manchester Lead for Equalities and Communities, said:
“The stories shared in this report show just how deeply inequality is impacting older people, especially those without private pensions, from minoritised communities, or living alone. In Greater Manchester, our approach has always been to listen to lived experience and act on it through our equality panels and local partnerships. We’re proud that our work has been recognised in this report, but there’s still so much more to do. Every person deserves to age with dignity, security and support, and that has to be a national priority as much as a local one.”
The city region’s proactive involvement in the inquiry underscores its leadership on ageing policy, but also its urgent call for national action to match the efforts of local communities.
The final report has now been published, highlighting Greater Manchester’s role in shaping national recommendations to tackle pensioner poverty, you can read it here.
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