Older women’s inequalities remain front and centre, as new findings from Age UK reveal just how stubborn the gender disparities can be—especially for women on low incomes or from minority backgrounds.
Despite the belief that society is steadily stamping out discrimination, Age UK’s latest report, “Older women in the UK,” paints a sobering picture of ageism, digital exclusion, loneliness, and the health challenges still faced by so many women in later life.
Now, if you’ll pardon my frankness—and I do believe honesty pairs well with a hot cup of tea—Age UK’s analysis tells us one thing loud and clear: these inequalities haven’t simply packed their bags and left town.
In fact, more than half of Britain’s older population are women over 50. Yet even with their substantial numbers, an alarming percentage of older women continue to face poor health, financial instability, or outright discrimination well into their golden years. The report’s findings run deep, so settle in as we explore the highlights.
Health and Wellbeing: A Bleak Back Nine
Many older women, especially those who are carers or living on a tight budget, spend much of their later years battling health woes.
The data reveals that older women are more prone than men to disabilities, long-term physical conditions (including dementia), and mental health issues. Sure, they may live longer, but that longevity too often comes paired with chronic illness.
- By age 65, women can look forward to about 11 more years in good health, which means over half of their remaining time—53%—is spent in poor health. And once a woman hits 90, that figure ratchets up to a hefty 67%.
- Age UK research shows a third of women aged 50+ feel their health has worsened over the past year—compared to a quarter of men.
- Older women are also less confident about their health improving in the future: just 9%, versus 12% for men.
Unfortunately, the situation grows even grimmer for women from certain ethnic groups. Starting as early as their 30s and 40s, Pakistani and Bangladeshi women disproportionately report “bad” or “very bad” health.
By the time they hit their 50s and 60s, the gap widens further, leaving them especially vulnerable.
Caring Responsibilities and Financial Tough Spots
Not only do many older women find themselves wrestling with health hurdles, they’re often caring for aging parents, partners, or other loved ones.
This caregiving can derail their chances of paid work or lead to reduced hours, impacting both current and future income. According to Age UK:
- Over a fifth (22%) of women aged 50+—that’s more than three million—are carers.
- Our creaking social care system offers little relief. Carers often feel unsupported and stretched to the limit.
Then there’s the pension predicament. Women pensioners are more likely to be skirting the poverty line than men, especially when living on their own.
Many of those in late old age missed out on benefits from the newer State Pension and simply have less private pension wealth.
Wrestling With the Digital Divide
We live in a time where “there’s an app for that,” but for many older women, stepping into the digital world feels like a high-wire act without a safety net. Age UK’s latest research underscores how a lack of online skills compounds the obstacles:
- 14% of women aged 60+ never touch the internet, compared to 11% of men. By the time women hit 75, that figure soars to nearly a quarter (23%).
- 41% of these women say poor IT skills keep them offline; others cite fears about cost or being scammed.
With healthcare and financial services increasingly going digital, this gap can become a barrier to everyday life, making it tougher to book appointments or manage money.
Ageism and Other Forms of Discrimination
Ageism isn’t a phenomenon limited to older men or women; it cuts both ways. However, older women report far more sex-based discrimination—16% of women versus 4% of men. And if an older woman belongs to an ethnic minority, the odds of encountering racism rise significantly.
Almost half of ethnic minority women over 50 say they’ve been discriminated against because of their race or ethnicity.
Policy and Recommendations
Age UK, though, isn’t just shining a spotlight on older women’s inequalities and leaving us to stew over the injustice.
The Charity lays out a series of policy recommendations, calling on the government and society to do better. Proposals include:
- Bolstering healthcare access
- Protecting carers
- Improving women’s financial security
- Targeting digital exclusion
- Providing effective domestic abuse support
- Ensuring older women’s voices are heard in policymaking
Voices from the Front Lines
Real-life stories can drive these points home in ways a mountain of statistics never can. Age UK has shared a few examples:
Sabrina, 66, from southeast London: “Thankfully, I can always get through to my GP, and I’ve not had any problems getting appointments, but it’s always hard work. I am very confident and I’m always going to fight to get what I need, but I find you have to say the same things over and over and over again. My GP and surgery receptionists always direct me to use an e-consult, which I can’t use, and I have to explain this every time I call. The NHS often tells you to go to a website to book an appointment, but I don’t have a computer, so I can’t book or do online digital appointments.
I prefer to have face-to-face appointments because how can a doctor do tests over the phone? They need to be able to see you in front of them. I worry that other women who maybe aren’t as confident as me might get lost in the system. Consultants are often lovely, but sometimes they can be dismissive, patronising, or condescending. You need to be polite but forceful. I think men might not have the same issues that many women have to deal with.”
Carole, 86, from Bournemouth: “I didn’t call the GP. There’s no point. You can never get through and actually speak to the doctor. On Wednesday, the district nurse visited, arranged before the accident, and noticed my foot was all bandaged up. She said it needed to be checked out, so contacted the hospital to refer me. Thankfully, the x-ray department called me and booked an appointment fairly easily. However, transport to the hospital is always a problem.
I have two choices; I can get a private taxi or use the NHS patient transfer service. A taxi is far too expensive at £20 for a return trip, so I have to book through the patient transfer service. I was on the phone to them for nearly an hour today, listening to the music, before they answered. Finally, they picked up the phone and booked my transfer for two hours before my 10 am appointment. I still can’t 100% relax, as they can be unreliable. Last time I used them, they didn’t turn up until ten minutes before my appointment, and then I have to wait for them to get me home after I’ve been seen. I likely won’t get home until the afternoon after being picked up at 8 am.”
Expert Insight
And let’s not forget the voices behind the statistics. Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK, emphasised:
“Some commentators suggest that women en masse are now doing so fabulously well in our society that it’s ‘job done’ so far as gender equality is concerned, but our new report shows that many older women still face inequality and exclusion in a wide range of ways, particularly if they are from some ethnic minorities, are unpaid carers, are widowed, single or divorced, are living on a low income or in a poor area.
Sexism and racism and other forms of discrimination combine with ageism to hold some older women back, with the result that the experience of being directly discriminated against for one reason or another is far more common among this group than most of us would probably assume. This is deeply unfair on all the older women impacted and it really does need to change.
Having looked at all the available data, we conclude that Pakistani and Bangladeshi older women are particularly in need of more policy attention and help because they are significantly left behind, especially on some health measures.”
“Our new report contains a series of policy recommendations that we believe could improve older women’s lives. Most often we urge action to help older men and older women, such as the establishment of a Commissioner for Older People in England, or more access to breaks for carers, but in doing so we recognise that older women are especially likely to gain. In a few policy areas we call for help to be targeted solely at older women, such as improvements in menopause training for clinicians, and redress for WASPI women in line with the recommendations made by the Ombudsman who comprehensively analysed their case. Of course, some men experience inequality too and our intention is to explore this in a subsequent report.”
“Some of the measures we suggest to improve older women’s lives require investment, but many don’t, and in other cases we urge progress over time rather than a ‘big bang’. Perhaps most important of all though, we call for a cultural change in our society, so older women no longer have cause to complain of being overlooked and ignored, as many currently do. Government needs to lead the way on this, and it has the tools to do so, but we all have a part to play.”
Final Thoughts
When the folks at Age UK talk about older women inequalities, they aren’t just throwing around buzzwords; they’re shining a spotlight on a profoundly important conversation that demands attention.
From health care worries and caregiving burdens to scant pension pots and digital exclusion, these challenges remain as real as ever for millions of women across the UK.
For my money, we’d do well to pay heed. Let’s hope policymakers across the board tune in, step up, and get to work because treating the women who raised us (and often still care for us) with the dignity and respect they deserve isn’t just a sign of a just society—it’s a sign of an enlightened one. And an enlightened society, my friends, is something we should all be cheering for.
All references are in the Age UK report – link “Older women in the UK”