Elderly spending more on basic items

A quarter of households aged over 50 in England saw a jump of 10 per cent or more in the amount they spent on basic items between 2004/05 and 2008/09, with spending on domestic fuel soaring by a third in real terms.

Unsurprisingly, the poorest have been most affected by the rising cost of living, says the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.

Professor Sir Michael Marmot, of University College London, said: “Food and fuel make up a considerable proportion of elderly people’s budgets so any price increases tend to have a significant effect on those households.”