“I don’t see myself retiring”: New research reveals the stark reality of Britain’s housing crisis for people in later life

New study from Crisis finds that nearly half of older people on low incomes state they would have nowhere to go if they lost their home.  

• Nearly one in five said they wanted to retire but couldn’t because of their housing costs. 
• With the number of older people in England facing homelessness rising by over 50% over the last five years, Crisis is campaigning for the Westminster government to deliver a bold and ambitious strategy to end all forms of homelessness. 

The escalating housing crisis across Great Britain is driving people in later life towards homelessness, new research by the charity Crisis has revealed, with nearly half (47%) of older people on low incomes stating they would have nowhere to go if they lost their home.  

The findings, which draw on a survey of over 1,600 people aged 55+ on low incomes across Britain as well as 13 in-depth interviews with people facing homelessness, highlight how a severe shortage of social housing and rising rents is driving up housing insecurity for people approaching retirement, while retirees are being forced to return to work to keep a safe roof over their head.   

“You lose your dignity. The only thing you can do is focus on just surviving from day to day. Because any time you remember, where will I sleep tonight? It’s a trauma.” 

Nearly one in five (17%) surveyed said they were unable to stop working because of their housing costs – with one interviewee saying they “did not ever see themselves retiring”. For people already retired, nearly one in 10 (8%) said they were planning to look for work again so they could cover the cost of their housing.  

For older low-income renters the situation became even more dire – with nearly one in ten (9%) fearing they will be at risk of homelessness by the end of this year, while one in five (17%) said they feared homelessness in their retirement. Only a fifth (21%) felt that housing benefit adequately covered their housing costs as it fails to keep pace with the true cost of renting.  

As more and more older people find themselves in a precarious housing situation, many are having to resort to drastic measures to afford their housing and living costs. Of those surveyed, two thirds (66%) had avoided using heating, hot water and electricity where possible, while others shared that they expected to have to rely on a food bank in future to help cover their housing costs. With many struggling to make ends meet, nearly two thirds (64%) of respondents said they were going out less often, while nearly a third (28%) stated the changes they had been forced to make to cover their costs had left them lonelier and more isolated. 

Strikingly, nearly one in seven (15%) older people surveyed revealed that their housing situation had made it harder to look after the people they care for. Crisis is warning that as more people are forced to rely on overstretched and struggling support services, the escalating housing crisis is now contributing to the one in social care. 

In England, older people facing homelessness has risen by over 50% over the past five years and the numbers trapped in temporary accommodation are starting to follow suit.1 Over the last two years, the numbers of people aged 55 and above who are stuck in temporary accommodation in England has increased by a third (35%). 

Crisis says that the findings are a symptom of decades of failure to build enough social homes, exacerbated by surging rental prices and living costs and a lack of investment in the welfare system. Taken together, this is leading to a generation once safe from Britain’s housing crisis being gradually pulled into its vortex. 

At the Spending Review, the Westminster Government committed to record levels of investment in social and affordable housing in England, including that 60% of the affordable homes delivered must be for social rent. The priority must now be on pace of delivery, ensuring communities are strengthened by the provision of more homes for social rent as quickly as possible.  

Alongside this, the upcoming cross-government strategy to end all forms of homelessness holds the potential to create lasting change if we invest in services that prevent homelessness before it happens.  

The charity says that the UK Government must also unfreeze housing benefit so that people across Great Britain can afford their rents and so that more low-income households aren’t pushed into homelessness.  

Crisis is urging members of the public to join their call to end homelessness for good and sign their open letter to the Prime Minister here.  

Matt Downie, Crisis Chief Executive, said “Britain’s housing crisis is an intergenerational one, with a growing number of older people facing homelessness. Many people who have spent their lives working are left hanging by a thread because of a lack of social homes, leaving charities to fill the gap. 

“No one should be forced to endure the hardship and trauma of homelessness, and in later life the consequences can be even more devastating. We’ve heard harrowing accounts - including someone who had to crawl over to a lamppost to be able to pull themselves up after sleeping rough in the cold and someone who was placed in unsuitable temporary accommodation far away from their wife’s care home making visiting her near impossible. These stories show the shameful reality of a housing and homelessness crisis that has been decades in the making, and we need change. 

"The recent spending review committed crucial funding for social and affordable housing over the next decade. With the right actions, the UK Government now has a rare chance to end homelessness for good. This requires delivering more social homes as quickly as possible, and reversing the real-terms cut to housing benefit which is making it nearly impossible for people on low incomes across Great Britain to pay their rent. Finally, to prevent homelessness occurring, Westminster must strengthen support systems to identify people at risk and give services time to step in before it happens.  

“Homelessness doesn’t have to exist and with the right ambition and political will, we can end it for good.” 

-Ends- 

Notes to Editor 

Between late September and early December 2024 Savanta ran a poll across Great Britain that explored the current and future housing security of older people on low incomes. It also sought to understand how they were managing housing and living costs, retirement planning and what support they had if they had or were to lose a home. 

The criteria for the poll were being over 55 years of age and living in the lowest 50th percentile income households. Outright homeowners (no mortgage) did not take the survey.  

73% of the sample would not have received WFP pre 24/25 because of either being pre-retirement age or living in Scotland. Of retirees in England and Wales (those who would have been eligible for WFP pre-24/25), at least 50% would be eligible for WFP in 24-25 

The poll was supplemented by in-depth qualitative interviews to gain experiential insight into what it is like for older people who had experienced and are still experiencing homelessness. In all 13 individuals were interviewed drawn from across Crisis services across Great Britain, where they were receiving support to move on from their experience of homelessness. 

You can read the full report including sample details here.

Statutory homelessness amongst older people 

England  

Households facing homelessness  

• In the 2023-24 financial year, 40,320 people aged 55+ were facing homelessness (lead applicants for households assessed as homeless or at risk of homelessness).1 

o    This is a 32% increase in the number of 55+ year olds facing homelessness on two years ago (30,530). 

Temporary accommodation  

• The number of 55+ year olds in temporary accommodation at the end of 2023-24 was 12,990.

o    This is a 35% increase in the number of 55+ year olds in TA on two years ago (9,640)  

Scotland  

Households facing homelessness  

• In 2023-24 there were 5,127 people aged 50+ facing homelessness (lead applicants for households assessed as homeless or threatened with homelessness). 1,879 were aged 60+.

o    This is a 21% increase on two years ago (4,232).  

Temporary accommodation  

• 3,110 households with the main applicant aged 50+ entered temporary accommodation in 2023-24. This is a 12% increase since 2021-22 when 2,775 households with main applicant was 50+ entered temporary accommodation.

Wales  

National statistics on the prevalence of homelessness among people of older age are not currently available. 

Sources:  

Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (2024), Homelessness statistics. Available online: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/homelessness-statistics 

Scottish Government (2024), Homelessness statistics. Available online: https://www.gov.scot/collections/homelessness-statistics/ 

About Crisis   

Crisis is the national charity for people facing homelessness across England, Scotland and Wales. We know that homelessness is not inevitable, and we know that together, we can end it. 

We provide services directly to people experiencing homelessness, carry out research into the causes and consequences of homelessness, and campaign for the changes needed to end it. 

You can contact the Crisis media team on 020 7426 3880, media@crisis.org.uk, or 07973 372587 (out of hours)