We are now looking for a Research Fellow with experience of quantitative research, excellent writing skills and a strong passion for policy to join our busy and expanding team.

This is a great opportunity for someone who has a genuine interest in the societal consequences of population ageing; demonstrable experience of quantitative research; an engaging writing style that can stimulate policy-makers; and an enquiring mind-set that can challenge the misconceptions around population ageing and older people.

We are looking for someone who is experienced and confident in managing their own research projects, to work on projects simultaneously and who has experience of developing project proposals and bid writing.

The ILC-UK envisages this post to be a full-time position but is happy to consider part-time arrangements, secondments or permanent placements. The post is initially offered on a year contract, with the strong possibility of extension and increase for the right candidate, who will then develop their own programmes of work in ageing research.

If this sounds of interest to you, then please send us a covering letter and your CV. Your covering letter should specify the name of the position you are applying for, your suitability for that role (based on the responsibilities and specifications outlined in the job description) and it should also include reference to any of your published work or documents produced.

The starting salaries will be set between £30,000 and £40,000, depending on experience.

If you have any queries about this position prior to applying, please contact Sally-Marie Bamford at sallymariebamford@ilcuk.org.uk.

The closing date for applications is 11.30am on Monday 3rd June 2013 via email to recruitment@ilcuk.org.uk. Please include in the email subject field the name of the position for which you are applying.

Interviews will be conducted on Wednesday 12th June, please ensure your availability upon application.

Please note that if you have not heard from us within 3 days of the interview date, you have been unsuccessful in your application.

We are also advertising for an Economics of Ageing Research Fellow. For details of this role, click here.

You can find the job description and personal specifications for the Research Fellow position below:

We are now looking for an Economics of Ageing Research Fellow with excellent research and writing skills and a strong passion for policy to join our busy and expanding team.  The ideal candidate should have a good understanding of the economic policy issues relevant to longevity, including pension reform, extending working lives and the funding of care.

This is a great opportunity for someone who has a genuine interest in the societal consequences of population ageing; demonstrable experience of research; an engaging writing style that can stimulate policy-makers; and an enquiring mind-set that can challenge the misconceptions around population ageing and older people.

We are looking for someone who is experienced and confident in managing their own research and policy projects, wto ork on projects simultaneously and who has experience of developing project proposals and bid writing.  An understanding of and experience of working with the financial services industry would also be an advantage, although not a necessity.

The ILC-UK envisages this post to be a full-time position but is happy to consider part-time arrangements, secondments or permanent placements. The post is initially offered on a year contract, with the strong possibility of extension and increase for the right candidate, who will then develop their own programmes of work in ageing research.

If this sounds of interest to you, then please send us a covering letter and your CV. Your covering letter should specify the name of the position you are applying for, your suitability for that role (based on the responsibilities and specifications outlined in the job description) and it should also include reference to any of your published work or documents produced.

The starting salaries will be set between £30,000 and £40,000, depending on experience.

If you have any queries about this position prior to applying, please contact David Sinclair at davidsinclair@ilcuk.org.uk.

The closing date for applications is 11.30am on Monday 3rd June 2013 via email to recruitment@ilcuk.org.uk. Please include in the email subject field the name of the position for which you are applying.

Interviews will be conducted on Wednesday 12th June, please ensure your availability upon application.

Please note that if you have not heard from us within 3 days of the interview date, you have been unsuccessful in your application.

We are also advertising for a Research Fellow with experience of quantitative research. For details of this role, click here.

You can find the job description and personal specifications for the Economics of Ageing Research Fellow position below:

The letter urges "Government to face up to the major changes and challenges from our rapidly ageing society".

The letter follows the report earlier this year of the House of Lords Public Service and Demographic Change Committee which argued that there has been a lack of vision and coherence in the ageing strategies of successive governments, to the extent that there is now "woeful unpreparedness" for our ageing society.

More details about the Ready for Ageing Alliance is available here.
 

Letter to the Prime Minister - Ready for Ageing Alliance

NIESR has estimated that an increase in the UK's effective retirement age of one year would benefit the public finances by around £13 billion (or 1 per cent of GDP).
Research by PwC estimated that raising state pension age to 70 rather than 68 by 2046 would have a net fiscal benefit of around 0.6 per cent of GDP.

The Provocation argues that raising the State Pension Age will only minimise the economic impacts of ageing if it is accompanied by a lengthening of working lives. ILC-UK point out that for this to occur we need to create labour market conditions that allow an older workforce to emerge – and thrive.

The Provocation highlights a number of case studies of “green shoots of innovation” in the area of working longer, with some employers taking proactive steps, with their employees, to respond to our ageing society.  But ILC-UK argue that further employer and user-led innovations are needed to support extended working lives.

Baroness Sally Greengross, Chief Executive of ILC-UK said:
“Lots of employers talk about innovation but far too few deliver. Some innovative employers have implemented measures to support older workers but they are few and far between. In the current economic climate it is unlikely that there will be significant financial support available to support getting older people into work so innovation will have to play a part in increasing employment levels.”

David Sinclair, Assistant Director, Policy and Communications at ILC-UK added  “The number of older workers has increased over the past decade. But let’s not get too excited. Between 1881 and 2008 the economic activity rates of UK men aged over 65 fell from 74 per cent to 10 per cent.  And the employment rates among those aged 50-64, are lower than for others of ‘working age’.

With an ageing society we will have more older people relative to younger. If we are to realise the economic benefit of more older workers, employers, employees and government must work together to build and test new models of working for older people.

In the Provocation, ILC-UK argue that:

• We must all act to change our attitudes to retirement and working longer
• Employers must take the initiative in leading innovation
• Older workers’ attitudes and aspirations must shape the agenda
• There is a need for a strategic approach, with integration of policy to support older workers with other areas, such as health, pensions and education

The Provocation highlights a number of case studies of innovation from the UK and around the world, including:

• BMW reorganised a production line to reflect needs of older workers- and increased productivity by 7% in a year.
• Ernst and Young maintain alumni networks as a recruitment source for older workers – 1 in 4 of their older recruits comes from this network.
• Dutch company Achmea Holdings offers a number of benefits, including a health promotion programme which has significantly reduced instances of ill-health.
• J Sainsbury has pioneered a flexible retirement scheme allowing employees to reduce their working hours, claim part of their pension while continuing to accrue further pension entitlements for when they fully retire.

ILC-UK point out that the efforts of employers “must be supported by a long term national strategy which creates a sustainable framework for interventions”.

The Provocation is available to download from the Publications page.

At a Parliamentary reception in the House of Lords today, policy makers, academics and politicians will learn about new computer models that are being developed at the University of Southampton which focus on the future demand and supply of health and social care.

The computer models presented range from modelling the complex lives of the population as a whole, through to services within an individual local authority and finally down to the level of the operation of an individual clinic.  The research has brought together clinicians, computer scientists with social scientists from demography, operational research, gerontology and social statistics.

ILC-UK’s work on the cost of ageing, published in 2012 noted that current UK projections see age-related spending rising by around £79 billion between 2016/17 and 2061/62. The report found that there was significant uncertainty in future cost projections, calling for government to prepare policies that can adapt to unexpected changes.

Southampton’s research highlights that future costs will be sensitive to changes in family structures and the willingness and availability of people to provide care to kin.

The research also demonstrates the need to be joined up in thinking about health and social care, showing how improvements in the operation of an eye clinic, and thus the sight of patients can also have a positive impact on reducing the need for social care. Money invested in one part of the system can generate savings elsewhere and thus improvements need not have a total net cost.

Baroness Greengross, Chief Executive of ILC-UK said:
“If we are to improve health and care in an ageing society we need to ensure that policy makers are informed and working from a strong evidence base. High quality independent academic research plays an important role in both the design and evaluation of effective policy and practice. ILC-UK delighted to join forces with the University of Southampton to highlight new research that supports and can contribute to meeting the challenge of an ageing population.”

Professor Maria Evandrou added:
“Meeting the challenge of an ageing population requires energy and expertise from across the disciplines. By better sharing our expertise with policy makers and organisations like ILC-UK, we can improve policy planning and practice and thus the lives of older people.”

ENDS

• Urge Government to respond positively to the House of Lords’ ‘Ready for Ageing’ Report and set out a plan for addressing the policy challenges of demographic change.
• Urge political parties to ensure that the challenges of our ageing society are prominent within their election manifestos.
• Urge the political parties to work together to deliver cross sector/party agreement on Commissions on “income and pensions” and “health and social care” in an ageing society.
• Urge Government to contribute and support a broader societal debate, actively engaging all relevant stakeholders about the need to reform public policy in the light of demographic change.

Michelle Mitchell, Charity Director General at Age UK said: “Some policymakers may think they can afford to put off addressing the long term trend towards ageing, but the challenges and opportunities longevity brings are already with us and effective responses need developing now. Age UK is pleased to be working with the Ready for Ageing Alliance to encourage politicians right across the spectrum to engage positively with the fact of an ageing society, from which potentially we have a great deal to gain.”

Jane Ashcroft, Chief Executive, Anchor said: “The policy issues that affect older people are wide-ranging and complex; and being made more so by demographic change. They span almost all government departments and several Ministers’ portfolios, yet individuals are being let down by a collective failure to address the needs of our growing older population. It is crucial that long-term solutions are developed and there is accountability within Government for action, to drive improvements for current and future generations of older people.”

Gillian Crosby, Director, Centre for Policy on Ageing said: “We live in a diverse and ageing society and our attitudes need to change to reshape our approach to the changing demographics. Public policy and service provision should encourage partnership, co-production and take heed of the evidence base of ‘what works’ and ‘what does not’ so that ageing becomes a positive experience rather than something to be feared.”

Janet Morrison, Chief Executive, Independent Age said: “We have known about the demographic changes to our society for a long time. There is no excuse for delays in preparing for these changes - engineering a fundamental shift in societal attitudes, tackling ageism and ensuring independence, choice and equal voice for all our citizens whatever their age.”

Baroness Sally Greengross, Chief Executive, ILC-UK said: "Our society is in denial of the inevitability of ageing. Yet this issue is one of the biggest public policy challenges facing our society. We have put off the difficult decisions for far too long.  Government must begin to take the ageing of our society seriously. Demographic change is an issue for all of us not just those interested in older people. If Government fails to act to respond to demographic change, the long term impact on today’s younger people will be severe."

Claire Turner, Head of Team (An Ageing Society), Joseph Rowntree Foundation said: “The question - are we ready for ageing? - is one for all of us. Our ageing society provides opportunities as well as challenges for individuals, communities and government and it is vital that we don’t ignore, but celebrate ageing. As part of this, we need a bold, broad and long-term vision on how best to respond to demographic change.”   

About the Ready for Ageing Alliance Members

Anchor is England’s largest not-for-profit provider of housing and care to older people.

Age UK aims to improve later life for everyone through our information and advice, services, campaigns, products, training and research.

Centre for Policy on Ageing, established by the Nuffield Foundation in 1947,  is an independent charity focused on raising awareness about ageing and the radical changes that are needed in public policy and practice to ensure better later lives for all. Our unique approach is through the systematic collection and dissemination of evidence in a variety of forms and our overarching focus is to discover and advocate what older people themselves want and need.

The International Longevity Centre-UK is the leading think tank on longevity and demographic change. It is an independent, non-partisan think-tank dedicated to addressing issues of longevity, ageing and population change. We develop ideas, undertake research and create a forum for debate.

Founded 150 years ago, Independent Age is a growing charity empowering older people across the UK and Ireland through the ‘A, B, C’ of advice, befriending and campaigning. We offer a national telephone and email advice service focusing on social care, welfare benefits and befriending services, which is supported by a wide range of printed guides and factsheets. This is integrated with on-the-ground, local support, provided by a network of over 1,500 volunteers offering one-to-one and group befriending. For more information, visit our website www.independentage.org.  Speak to one of our advisers for free and confidential advice and information. Lines are open Monday to Friday between 10am - 4pm. Call 0845 262 1863 or email advice@independentage.org

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation is an endowed foundation funding a UK wide research and development programme. We are independent, but we are not neutral: we are on the side of people and places in poverty. We want lasting change for people and places in poverty, communities where everyone can thrive and a more equal society. Now and for future generations

• Health, including dementia
• Social care
• Housing and communities, including transport and local area planning
• Pensions and financial planning
• Age discrimination and equality
• Intergenerational issues
• Technology, including digital exclusion and assistive technologies

For examples of other areas we are working on, please see our publications page: http://www.ilcuk.org.uk/index.php/publications

We hope researchers who are interested in understanding and working together on the research and policy implications of ageing will join the panel. We would be able to offer researchers a unique opportunity to work collaboratively on areas of mutual interest through joint proposals, research and policy projects and joint dissemination activities for example co-authoring articles. This opportunity is of added value as it allows emerging researchers to demonstrate that their ideas and knowledge has impact beyond academia into the policy-making environment.

The panel will meet formally three times a year and we will also hold a number of informal networking events. Members of the panel will be expected to play an active role in supporting the work of the ILC-UK and offer advice and active support to our research and policy work.

To express an interest in becoming a member of the panel please send a CV and a brief email summarising your research expertise and interest to: JessicaWatson@ilcuk.org.uk, by Friday 31st May.

New legislation will encourage better joined-up working between the social care sector and other key stakeholders, including central and local government, financial advisers, care providers, and firms offering financial services products.  For the system to work smoothly, this community will need to work seamlessly together.

Baroness Sally Greengross said: “This is our chance. The decisions made by Government between now and 2016 will determine the adequacy and sustainability of social care for many years. It is vital we get both the broad direction and the detail right if we are to deliver a much needed transformation in the care system.
Between now and April 2016, the Care and Support Bill will result in radical changes to the care system and the way care is paid for.  The period immediately ahead is therefore a crucial time of preparation to squeeze every last drop of benefit out of the new system.  With money so tight everywhere, nothing less will do.
I’m delighted to announce that Nick Kirwan will be joining us to lead this important piece of work.”

Nick Kirwan, Director of the ILC-UK care funding advice network said: “I’m thrilled to be joining the ILC-UK to lead this work with stakeholders and government to support the development of this new legislation. The ILC-UK is perfectly placed to do that.  Our top priority will be to ensure that the legislation provides a guided pathway for self-funders that leads to regulated financial advice. The average self-funder pays around £150,000 for their care over 4 years and yet currently only a tiny proportion currently get regulated financial advice.  This is something we must put right, and now we have the ideal opportunity to do it.”

Noreen Siba, Managing Director of the ILC-UK said: “We’re looking to bring together a strong community of organisations involved in the care funding debate and we’re delighted that a number of firms have already agreed to help us fund this important piece of work, showing that there is a clear need to take advantage of this once in a generation reform of the system.  I’d like to take the opportunity to thank them for their commitment and support and would welcome other interested organisations who would like to join us”.

The ILC-UK has been working on care funding policy since 2007. Over recent years we have sought to bring together industry, the care sector, academics and policy makers to ensure that reform is both sustainable and meets the needs of today’s and tomorrow’s recipients of care.

Nick Kirwan and Baroness Greengross are available for interview. Please contact Jessica Watson at the ILC-UK on 020703400440 or 07531164886.

Responding to today's announcements on pensions and social care by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Baroness Greengross, Chief Executive of the International Longevity Centre-UK said:

"The Chancellor's decision to push pension and social care reform forward quicker than previously announced is extremely welcome. One in three of us will need care in old age so it is vital we progress policy to deliver a better and fairer care funding regime.
Care is a life-course issue and ILC-UK urges Government to also focus attention on child care in this week's Budget. Getting care right is vital to the economy. When care is unobtainable or unaffordable, it unnecessarily pulls both younger and older people out of the workforce.
The Chancellor should also use the opportunity of the Budget to announce a review which would consider the potential of extending childcare vouchers to allow their purchase to support the care needs of vulnerable adults.
The Chancellor must also recognise that one of the biggest challenges, in the context of an ageing society, is future healthcare costs. The Government must respond positively to the recommendations on this issue published in the report of the Lords' Public Service and Demographic Change Committee.

Overall, it is vital that this week's Budget is both fair, and perceived to be fair, across the generations. The Chancellor should ask officials to develop a measure to evaluate the overall impact of his Budgets in relation to intergenerational fairness."

“Our society is in denial of the inevitability of ageing. We have put off the difficult decisions for far too long.

The Public Service and Demographic Change Committee argues that there has been a lack of vision and coherence in the ageing strategies of successive governments. This cannot continue.

It is fiscally vital that we get ageing right. Age-related spending in the UK is projected to rise from an annual cost of 21.3% to 26.3% of GDP between 2016/17 and 2061/62, equivalent to a rise of around £79bn in today’s money.

But addressing the cost of ageing is just the start of the challenge.

The report paints a picture of a health and care system which doesn’t work for today’s older population. Similarly our communities, housing and transport systems are ill equipped for the challenges ahead.

We must not be afraid to tell people that they are likely to need to work longer and that state pension ages may need to increase further as healthy life expectancy changes.

As individuals we will all need to take more responsibility for preventing ill health. Older people will, as the Committee highlights, need to use the value of their homes to partly fund their retirement.

But for individuals to plan for the long term, they need certainty about future policy direction. The lack of a strategic approach by Government undermines confidence in long term planning.

There is a role not just for Government and individuals, but also for the private sector. The financial services industry must respond better to the challenges of ageing. The market failure highlighted by the committee cannot continue. It is clear that parts of the industry want to serve this growing market. Government must create the right conditions for the financial services industry to thrive and deliver products and services to help us manage as we age.

This important and wide ranging report must kick start a new debate about age, and Government must not shy away from difficult decisions.

Now is the time for action. Tomorrow’s pensioners will not thank us for continuing to ignore this issue.”

Notes: The House of Lords Public Service and Demographic Change Committee, Ready for Ageing? will be published on 14th March 2013.

Baroness Greengross, Chief Executive of the ILC-UK said:

“International Women’s Day is a day for celebrating the achievements of women across the world and yet it also provides an opportunity for a ‘societal stocktake’. As our collection of essays clearly reveals, somewhere along the way we seem to have relegated older women to the second class seats in our fight for gender equality. Not only do we need to advance and empower dignity in older age, we also need to make sure we embrace and harness the significance and potential of our older female population.”

The essays show that while some women in their sixties, seventies and eighties may not think of themselves as old, many women of a certain age feel at best invisible and at worst considered a burden for the younger generation, with older woman’s contribution to society considered non-existent. Yet in fact older women are the social glue that binds our families and communities together, for example as carers, and yet none of this is seen as significant. Furthermore, older women can find themselves battling for the benefits that younger women take for granted.

As Jane Ashcroft, CEO of Anchor and Trustee of Silverline wrote in her essay:

“As a society and for ourselves, don’t we need to see every older woman as an individual and … improve visibility - instead of ‘Oh I didn’t see you there’ can we say ‘ah, I’ve been looking for you’?”

Sally-Marie Bamford, editor of the report and Assistant Director, Research and Strategy said:

“This collection of essays provides a marker for future change, it represents a united dissatisfaction with the status quo and as a result we will be launching an Older Women’s Policy and Research Action Alliance to drive this agenda forward.”

The compendium is available to download from http://www.ilcuk.org.uk/index.php/publications/publication_details/has_the_sisterhood_forgotten_older_women The hashtag is #olderwomen

Included within the 38 essays are contributions from Ros Altmann (Independent pensions expert and former Government policy adviser) and Anthony Thompson (Head of Public Affairs for Scottish Widows), both of whom highlight a ‘forgotten generation’ of older women who have found themselves in a pensions ‘black hole’.

Baroness Greengross, Chief Executive of the ILC-UK said:
“We are witnessing a generation of women who will be living out their later years in poverty through no fault of their own as a result of historic discrimination in the state and private pension arena. We need to make sure the next generation of women do not fall into the same trap.

While we welcome the proposed flat- rate state pension which should herald significant improvements for future generations of women, we need to make sure we repay the contribution older women made both in the public and private sphere and ensure they have financial security and dignity in later life.”

Ros Altmann, in her essay entitled ‘How older women lose out in the pensions arena’, urges women now to take responsibility for their own financial future and sets out her top tips for women to help provide for themselves in later life:

• “Don't rely on a partner's pension - save for yourself.
• If your partner is buying an annuity, make sure he knows the importance of selecting a joint life product that will keep paying to you after he dies.
• Take your own financial planning advice, to help you assess your later life income prospects.
• More women than men will need expensive social care so you may want to plan how you might pay for that if needed.”

In response to the essays and evidence submitted, ILC-UK will also be launching an Older Women’s Policy and Research Action Alliance to create a roadmap for future research and policy priorities.

The compendium is available to download from http://www.ilcuk.org.uk/index.php/publications/publication_details/has_the_sisterhood_forgotten_older_women The hashtag is #olderwomen

Included within the essays, Michelle Mitchell, Charity Director General of Age UK, argues older women are disproportionately affected by inadequacies of care and support. In the UK, women account for two thirds of community care users over the age of 65, and three quarters of people in residential care.

She says: “Despite care having been on the feminist agenda for years, the issue of it in later life has remained shrouded from our viewpoint, as millions struggle in quiet crisis. Yet nowhere are the compound challenges of class, gender and age more evident and nowhere are older women more in need of a voice.”

Baroness Sally Greengross, Chief Executive of the ILC-UK  added:

“The debate on the future funding of social care is not an academic one. For millions of women, the decisions made by politicians over the next couple of years will have far reaching implications. Women must engage in the debate on social care funding if we are to get a solution which works for all. 

It is also essential that the caring contributions of older women are not ignored. Future care reform must take account of and not disincentivise the informal care contribution of older women.”

Included within the 38 essays are pieces which explicitly consider how health and care systems must better respond to the needs of women. The essays also explore the need for a stronger focus on the health of older women, recognising for example that women are disproportionately affected by dementia.

Launching the compendium, ILC-UK announced it was establishing an Older Women’s Policy and Research Action Alliance to create a roadmap for future research and policy priorities.

The compendium is available to download from http://www.ilcuk.org.uk/index.php/publications/publication_details/has_the_sisterhood_forgotten_older_women The hashtag is #olderwomen

“'Putting off’ retirement planning places young people at risk of living in poverty later in life. We must better plan for tomorrow, today.

Whilst many younger people are struggling to save, it is positive news that large numbers do not plan to opt out of automatic enrolment for pensions. Auto enrolment will result in millions more people saving for later life.

Society must do more to instill a savings culture in the young. Saving needs to become a social norm.

Government and the industry should work together to develop and promote a savings rule of thumb similar to the ‘5-a-day’ healthy eating message.”

Notes: Aviva’s latest working lives report is being published on 27th February. The report finds:

• Britain’s workers remain undecided on pension saving - 37% of employees say they will opt out of automatic enrolment, and 28% are undecided.
• Affordability is a key obstacle - almost half (45%) of employees who do not currently take up the pension they are offered say they don’t have the cash.
• Only a third (37%) of employees are confident about their financial situation.
• Two-thirds of employees (65%) say their key workplace concern is how their pay compares to the cost of living.
• Nearly two-thirds (60%) of employees lack confidence in the UK economy.

Younger people and saving: ILC-UK’s 2011 report, Resuscitating Retirement Saving: How to Help Today’s Young People Plan for Later Life, produced with the support of Prudential, examined the financial and economic circumstances of young people today. It considered the role of behavioural economics in nudging young people towards saving for retirement.

Delegates at the event will hear the latest evidence about the cost of our ageing society. The debate will hear from Kenneth Gibson MSP, Convenor, Scottish Parliament Finance Committee who will talk about the economic impact of an ageing society in Scotland.

Maureen O’Neill, Scottish Member of the European Economic and Social Committee will highlight the contribution older people make within Scotland and Europe.

The debate will also hear from Philip Simpson, Principal at Milliman, and Emma McWilliam, Consulting Actuary at Milliman and Editor of ‘Longevity Risk’ published by RiskBooks.

David Sinclair, of the UK based think tank, the International Longevity Centre – UK will highlight the findings of a new report on the cost of ageing across the world. In the report, ILC-UK argued that Governments must do more to reduce the long term cost of ageing to the public purse.

The ILC-UK report (The cost of our ageing society) notes that in the UK

• age-related spending is projected to rise from an annual cost of 21.3% to 26.3% of GDP between 2016/17 and 2061/62, a rise of 5% of GDP (3) (equivalent to a rise of around £79bn in today’s money).
• spending on public pensions (state pension, benefits and public service pensions) is projected to rise from an annual cost of 8.9% to 10.8% of GDP between 2016/17 and 2061/62, a rise of 1.9% of GDP (equivalent to a rise of around £33bn in today’s money).
• spending on health care is projected to see the largest rise of all elements of age-related spending, rising from an annual cost of 6.8% to 9.1% of GDP between 2016/17 and 2061/62, a rise of 2.3% of GDP (equivalent to a rise of around £36bn in today’s money).
• spending on long term care is projected to rise between 2016/17 and 2061/62 by 0.9%, from an annual cost of 1.1% to 2% of GDP, a rise of 0.9% of GDP  (equivalent to a rise of around £14bn in today’s money).

Ahead of the event Kenneth Gibson MSP said “I look forward to discussing the Finance Committee’s recent demography report.”

David Sinclair, Assistant Director, Policy and Communications at ILC-UK, added “Scotland is not exempt from the economic costs of our ageing society and we are delighted to be bringing the debate to Edinburgh. It is great to see the interest of the Scottish Parliament in this issue as hoping the issue will go away is not an adequate response. Drifting along is not an option and does not benefit future older or younger people. Policymakers must urgently look to solutions to the long term challenge of mitigating the increased cost of an ageing society."

Philip Simpson of Milliman added “Those aged 60 years and older are the most rapidly growing population segment in Scotland; with their numbers growing 15% between the last two censuses.  Consequently, the potential economic impact of the ageing population is important to Scotland and all professionals involved in understanding the consequences of longevity should come together and pool their expertise to help address this issue.”

Maureen O’Neill, member of the Member of the European Economic and Social Committee added "Whilst it is important to consider the costs attached to an ageing population it is vital that we recognise and appreciate the contribution made by older people to the economy, care, democratic processes and family. We should better appreciate that older people constitute the social glue of our society'.

"These measures are an important first step in the right direction. The ageing of the UK population means that both the number of people needing care, and the cost of providing it, are increasing. Spending on long term care is projected to rise between 2016/17 and 2061/62 by £14bn in today’s money.

The announcement will help individuals and families who are currently hit hardest by the ever growing cost of care.  Yet social care is in crisis today and too many people get inadequate care and support. The problem isn’t just a long term one – for the sake of today’s care recipients, we must also work to address the current crisis.

It has taken many years of policy interest in this area to make this progress. The next steps are critical.”