Social exclusion ‘on the rise’ among 50s age group

The number of people aged 50-59 facing social exclusion in England is rising sharply, according to a new report. Those being excluded from decent housing, public transport and local amenities increased between 2002 and 2008 - whereas the problem became less severe for those aged 85 or over. 

The study analysed the most recently available data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Social exclusion was measured across seven domains including exclusion from social relationships, local amenities, financial products, civic activities and access to information, decent housing and public transport, cultural activities, and common consumer goods.

Key points

• Decent housing and access to public transport are key issues for older people - possibly more so than other measures of deprivation, because of their impact on social participation.
• Overall, rates of exclusion rose sharply between 2002 and 2008 among people aged 50 and above – by over five percentage points, to around 16 per cent.
• As people age, they are more likely to become socially excluded than less – 23.9 per cent of people aged 50 or over became more excluded between 2002 and 2008.
• Over one in six people in their fifties (18 per cent) were socially excluded in two or more of the domains examined in 2008 – up from 13 per cent in 2002.
• But among those aged 85 or older, the incidence of social exclusion fell from 48 per cent to 38 per cent over the same period.

Source: Dylan Kneale, Is Social Exclusion Still Important for Older People?, International Longevity Centre – UK
Links: Report | ILC press release (1) | ILC press release (2)