Helen Mirren, 79, slams ageism as ‘upsetting and unfair’ as she calls for ‘change’ and vows to improve the experience of getting older in the UK

Helen Mirren has shared that age discrimination ‘must change’ after new research suggested a third of over-65s experience age discrimination.

The actress, 79, said discrimination afterward is both “disturbing and unfair.” Age UK published its report showing that millions of people have had negative experiences because of their age, ranging from being treated with less respect to being threatened.

The charity, for which Dame Helen is an ambassador, said its analysis showed that a third of people aged 65 and over and almost a quarter of people aged 50 to 64 in England said they had been discriminated against because of their age.

Based on population statistics and analysis of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, the charity suggested that around 6.1 million people aged 50 and over in England have experienced age discrimination.

This may come on top of other forms of discrimination for some, the charity said, finding that around one in six women aged 50 or over said they had experienced sexism, and more than half of people with ethnic minority background had experienced sexism in this age category. racial or religious discrimination.

The actress said discrimination is both ‘disturbing and unfair’ after Age UK published its report indicating millions of people have had negative experiences because of their age (Helen photo 1974)

Age UK said that while the ‘population is aging rapidly, ageism remains widespread’ and has called for attitudes to be changed, poverty and inequality to be tackled and the health and social care needs of older people to be ‘recognised and fully met’ .

Dame Helen said: ‘Aging happens to us all, but as we get older life can become more difficult. Many will be treated differently, which could be not only deeply disturbing but also unfair.”

‘Everyone, no matter their age, should feel included and valued and that is what Age UK is trying to achieve.’

She concluded: “This is an ambitious but truly important challenge because things need to change and it is in all our interests to ensure that older people are respected and treated as the individuals they are.”

The charity said that by 2040 it is estimated that more than 40% of people in Britain will be over the age of 50 and more than five million people will be aged 80 or over. asset that our older population is, and to address the challenges that older people face.”

The charity said the ‘gross inequality’ in the incomes of British pensioners means it is only a minority who live on a moderate or comfortable income (17%), while most survive on a minimum income or live in poverty (82%) .

Age UK, which has strongly criticized the government’s plan to limit winter fuel payments only to those receiving pension credit, has previously said that 2.5 million pensioners in the UK who will lose payments this year will struggle financially, as 1.6 million people live in poverty and 900,000 earn incomes just above the poverty line.

They also highlighted that 71% of disabled pensioners will lose winter fuel payments, despite many having high energy costs due to ill health or disability.

“Everyone, no matter their age, should feel included and valued and that is what Age UK is trying to achieve,” said Helen (pictured 2023)

Paul Farmer, chief executive of the charity, said: ‘Society can play a big role in how we view aging and older people in our communities and therefore how we think about our own aging when it is our turn.’

‘By changing society’s views for the better, we hope that future generations can be better prepared for the challenges of growing older in later life and with more opportunities to make the most of them.’

‘Our end goal must be that the elderly are valued and involved. We need to change the way we age.”

He added: ‘We also need to think more about aging as a country and how we can best respond to it, including within government, business and other sectors.’

“If we don’t, we will sleepwalk into a national crisis, and we can no longer ignore the facts and consequences of inaction.”

‘Along with climate change and the technological revolution, aging is one of the major global trends that increasingly affects us.’

Caroline Abrahams, director of the charity Age UK, said: ‘The fact is that we all benefit from a more balanced and informed view of aging and older people.’

“And our country will benefit too, given the ease with which we seem to be writing off the enormous contributions people make in their 50s, 60s and older – contributions we can barely afford to do without.”