Latest news with #over50s
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Retirement poverty 'postcode lottery' revealed: Areas of Britain where the elderly are most under strain...
Many over-50s are under financial strain across the country but Londoners are among the most vulnerable, new research claims. The home ownership rate for older people living in the capital, where property prices are sky high, is by far the lowest in the UK at 55 per cent. This is a key indicator of retirement poverty, because it means people still face housing costs in old age. Yorkshire and Humberside has the highest rate of home ownership among over-50s at 77 per cent, followed by Northern Ireland at 76 per cent - and in no other part of the country is it below 60 per cent. London is famously home to very wealthy people, but it scores badly in several measures of likely poverty in old age, according to the study by SunLife. Just over half of London residents aged over 50 are in debt, only slightly lagging the South East at 52 per cent and Scotland at 53 per cent. They are also among the most likely to fear running out of money in retirement at 38 per cent, again only slightly lagging their counterparts in the South East and Scotland. Average income before tax is highest in these same three regions, at £31,000-plus - but this will be outweighed by the higher cost of living. 'In London particularly there seems to be a "perfect storm" of low homeownership, high debt, below-average income, and financial anxiety, all at a time in life when many would hope to feel more secure,' says SunLife chief executive Mark Screeton. His firm surveyed more than 2,000 people over 50 about their financial situation, their history of big purchases and what is on their wishlist to buy in retirement. Last week, an influential industry survey showed the cost of a comfortable retirement now tops £60,000 a year for a couple, and is £43,900 for an individual. A couple aiming for a 'moderate' lifestyle, which includes enjoying meals out and trips abroad, now need to find £43,900 annually, while an individual - who lives on one state pension, not two - requires £31,700. However, lower energy prices mean the cost of a minimum lifestyle has fallen 4 per cent for a couple to £21,600 and 7 per cent for an individual to £13,400. The Pension and Lifetime Savings Association figures do not include income tax, housing costs if you are still paying a mortgage or rent, and potentially care costs in later life. SunLife found the cost of living is the number one financial concern among over-50s. In Northern Ireland 74 per cent worry about it, in Scotland 71 per cent, and in the East Midlands 68 per cent - though in London 56 per cent said it was a concern. Overall, those surveyed had lived in their homes 22 years on average, and in terms of home improvements a new kitchen was number one on the wish list for men, while women would rather have new carpets and floors. Screeton says: 'Our research shows a clear "postcode lottery" when it comes to retirement, where people's ability to enjoy later life appears to be impacted by where they live. 'Whether it is mortgage repayments dragging into retirement or higher levels of consumer debt, older people in some areas are facing greater financial concerns than others.' How to sort out your pension if you fear it's falling short 1) If you are worried about whether you will have saved enough, investigate your existing pensions. Broadly speaking, you need to ask schemes the following questions. - The current fund value. - The current transfer value - because there might be a penalty to move. - Whether the pension is in a final salary or defined contribution scheme. Defined contribution pensions take contributions from both employer and employee and invest them to provide a pot of money at retirement. Unless you work in the public sector, they have now mostly replaced more generous gold-plated defined benefit - career average or final salary - pensions, which provide a guaranteed income after retirement until you die. Defined contribution pensions are stingier and savers bear the investment risk, rather than employers. - If there are any guarantees - for instance, a guaranteed annuity rate - and if you would lose them if you moved the fund. - The pension projection at retirement age. You can use a pension calculator to see if you will have enough - these are widely available online. 2) You should add the forecast figures to what you anticipate getting in state pension, which is currently £230.25 a week or around £12,000 a year if you qualify for the full new rate. Get a state pension forecast here. 3) If you are tempted to merge your old pensions, read our guide first to ensure you won't be penalised. 4) If you have lost track of old pots, the Government's free pension tracing service is here. Take care if you do an online search for the Pension Tracing Service as many companies using similar names will pop up in the results. These will also offer to look for your pension, but try to charge or flog you other services, and could be fraudulent.
The Independent
22-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
I went from Ozempic to Mounjaro with this unexpected side effect
I know a lot of younger people are interested in prepping their beach body, but at 59 years old, I've recently gotten back into using weight-loss jabs to help with my pitch body. Competing in a veterans' football match on a full-size pitch against a team of 35-year-olds, it somehow felt unfair that our largely over-fifties team was getting whipped by a team who had yet to spend an extra 24 years parenting, drinking, eating and a metabolism hitting the brakes hard. So that was me in March – back on the weight-loss jabs again. But this time, I've been surprised by an unexpected side effect. I first tried Ozempic after seeing a privately registered nurse in 2023 – only stopping when there was a national shortage, but not before I had lost over a stone. This time, though, I noticed weight-loss jabs were being offered at my local chemist – and at half the price. The proximity, lower cost and desire to be fitter for football lured me back in. I started with a consultation with a pharmacist who took my waistline measurement and weight. In mid-January, I was weighing in at 14.8 stone after a Christmas of not caring what I ate, though I could tell I'd already come down a bit since then. At home, I use Renpho digital scales linked to an app on my phone – and frankly, they're brilliant. Unkind, but brilliant. They tell me what each component of my physical make-up weighs – from protein to body water, skeletal mass, fat levels, and even my metabolic age (don't ask). About 20 years ago, I used a set of these for a Men's Health magazine feature, and back then they cost close to a thousand pounds. Now, they're just a tiny fraction of that. If you're serious about losing weight, you need to be honest with yourself – and there's nothing more horrifying than seeing your daily weight to a hundredth of a pound. I get on them once or twice a week, and as the comedian Jason Manford correctly points out, I never accept the first reading without another go – slightly shifting the scales left or right on the bathroom floor. The last time I was serious about losing weight, I used Ozempic alongside jogging and 20-minute high-intensity training routines a few times a week. I lost about a stone and a half then. If I could drop from my Christmas weight to somewhere around 13 stone, I'd be happy. That was the lowest I got to last time, although Renpho recommended I lose another whole stone. I only stopped taking medication 18 months ago because the Ozempic ran out, and then I sprained my meniscus while jogging across London Bridge for a bus. That put most of my normal exercise – like running around the park and amateur football – on hold for half the year. The UCH physios had me doing seated leg-strengthening exercises instead. My legs got bigger – but so did my stomach. This time around, the chemist said she had Mounjaro. It sounds like French sweets or half a mountain, but I was happy to give it a go – and it's been startlingly different from my experience with Ozempic. Mounjaro is the third in a line of weight-loss injections available in the UK. They all work by affecting hunger hormones to reduce appetite; the drugs mimic a hormone called GLP-1, which helps control appetite and keep blood sugar stable. Mounjaro, however, also targets an additional hormone called GIP (gastric inhibitory peptide), enhancing the effects, and helping people eat less. The first month of jabs – administered by my girlfriend on the living room sofa – were negligible. The dose was so low, it barely registered. By the second month, I started to see a difference. I'm now on the third dosage and currently weigh 13.8 stone. But it's not just my body noticing a change – what's going on in my head has really changed too. Ever since I was a kid – when I used to neck Haliborange straight from the bottle – people have made jokes or comments about my hyperactive state. At school, I was disruptive, more focused on making people laugh and distracting the teachers than working. At work, writing about music for NME, I found an environment where this behaviour was normal. The opportunity to constantly discover exciting new music and rave about it week after week was more important to me than sitting still and concentrating. Long, long before ADHD became a buzzword, I was already familiar with the waves of behaviours now often associated with it. For some reason, everyone with ADHD – or who's ever read an article about it – wants to tell everyone else they have it too. I've lived through this with my own mind running interference on itself, and friends (and more recently, my girlfriend) suggesting I get tested has become more frequent each year. But in reality, I'd gotten used to the noise and confusion in my head. I didn't really want to go on any medication for it. And being 27 years clean and sober from drugs and alcohol, I wasn't keen on going near the magic mushroom microdosing that's now all over social media as helping people to focus either. So, this unexpected consequence of a calmed mind while using Mounjaro has come as a very welcome surprise. Since starting the drug, I've had virtually no invasive, interrupting thoughts or ideas. If someone asks me to do something while I'm doing something else, I can actually prioritise properly. I first noticed the change while walking through the park with my mate Geoff. I realised I could hear everything he was saying and stay focused on the conversation. I wasn't constantly redirected by other thoughts triggered by something I'd seen. I wasn't thinking about four or five things at once. Even when someone walked toward us, I could register them without losing track of what Geoff was saying. This was revelatory. Normally, any slight distraction is the start of a massive mental detour. The more I've thought about it, the clearer my behavioural change has become. I don't feel the need to stand up the moment I sit down. If I forget why I picked up my phone, I can quickly remember why. Before, I could pick up my phone to do something and end up three hours later scrolling, laughing at videos of people falling over drunk. I find the distance between thought and action is much shorter now. It's literally like there are two people in the room, not 27. When I posted about this on Facebook, quite a few people pointed to evidence that some of these drugs reduce anxiety, addiction, and depression. A quick Google confirmed that numerous medical and scientific bodies have reported this as a clear, if unexpected, trend. Mounjaro is a GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) receptor agonist. It acts in the gut – where it regulates appetite and digestion – and in the brain's reward centre, the dopamine hub that drives addiction, impulsivity, and compulsive behaviour. While these jabs are known to calm 'food noise,' it feels like all the other noise in my head has now been quietened now too. I haven't had this confirmed by a doctor, and it's important to understand that Mounjaro is not a standard treatment for ADHD. It should not be used as a substitute for conventional ADHD medications without consulting a medical professional. But in my experience, the noticeable improvement in my ability to focus has been more valuable than the weight I've lost.
Times
21-05-2025
- Health
- Times
OK, I admit it — I'm addicted to sitting and I can't kick the habit
Sitting for prolonged periods every day, says research published this week, can shrink your brain, leading to cognitive issues and increasing the risk of different types of dementia later in life. I have even read that sitting is the 'new smoking', in which case, if you fancy a secret sit, you'll have to do it out of a window while waving away the smell. However, all this only applies to over-50s so young people can sit all they like, whenever they like, wherever they like, goddammit. But it's a filthy habit and it will catch up with them one day. Easy to start, tough to stop. Trust me, I know. What I'm about to say next is hard because I've never said it out loud
The Sun
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
The bodycon is back – but how on earth do you wear it? Subtle design add-ons mean this time it's for everyone
HOLD on to your Spanx - the bodycon is back. After going into fashion Room 101, the frock that defined the noughties is fighting its way back - and this time it's creeping into the wardrobes of the over 50s. 8 8 8 Victoria Beckham, 51, has worn one on the red carpet while Sarah Jessica Parker, 60, is wearing a bejewelled blue number in the new series of And Just Like That which airs at the beginning of May. Both of them look incredible. Sarah Jessica Parker 's crepe midi by Alex Perry has been referred to by Vogue as this decade's version of the iconic 'Carrie dress' which was a grey body-hugging mini worn by Carrie Bradshaw in the original Sex and the City series. Only this time round the figure-flattering number has all the elements to make it a win for women of a certain age: long sleeves, check; embellishment to detract the eye, check; boxy shoulders to balance out the waist, check; knee length, check. Of course, SJP could wear a paper bag, but this version of the bodycon could flatter anyone. This was not the case for the original bodycon - the Herve Leger bandage dress. The word bodycon is a shortened version of body-conscious - something that 90 per cent of us would feel if we poured ourselves into a figure hugging frock. And you couldn't get more clingy than the original Herve Leger bandage dress. It was made from elastic strips of fabric sewn together to make a skintight aesthetic. It was originally worn by the supermodels like Cindy Crawford and Eva Herzigova and by the noughties it had become a status symbol - the only dress celebs wouldn't mind being seen in twice or even caught matching someone else. From Rihanna to Kim Kardashian and Victoria Beckham in her silver and purple style - the dress defined an era. Retailing from £400 to £1,400 there were of course dupes lining the rails of Topshop and Miss Selfridge which took the sheen off the designer brand. Molly-Mae fans as she goes braless in tight-fit bodycon dress after Tommy Fury split And by the end of the decade - as we all realised we quite liked breathing - the pandemonium had died down and we exhaled into looser, more comfortable silhouettes. That was nice while it lasted but let's be honest, a giant tent dress while certainly making a statement doesn't have the same wow factor as a curve-clinger like the bodycon. Now, like with all things in fashion, we've come full circle. Last year, Kaia Gerber - daughter of Cindy Crawford - wore a white-hot Herve Leger bodycon, almost identical to the one her mother wore to the 1993 Academy Awards. It had a sweetheart neckline and underwire cups. And a quick search on Boohoo and Pretty Little Thing reveals Herve Leger dupes for around £52 for those brave enough to relive their noughties heyday. That particular style is not for the faint of heart - my bandage dress days are well and truly over - but the high street is championing bodycons with a twist this season. The likes of River Island, Next and M&S are offering tweaks on the original style that make the look more wearable for every woman, regardless of shape, size or age. Think ruching around the tum, hips or waist to enhance your shape - like Victoria Beckham's steel blue version - or flattering prints, loose and light overlays, knots and shirring. These subtle design add-ons made the 2025 bodycon something we can all get on board with. BODYCON FOR EVERYONE… RUCHING Just last week, Posh wore her own design to a launch in Dubai. Her take on the trend is to wear a dress that looks like Lycra but is more likely to be 90 per cent polyester and 10 per cent spandex (as some of her currently available dresses are). This hugs the body's shape but allows you to breathe. The dress then has strategically placed ruching in the fabric to flatter and enhance her natural shape. And it's not all over tight - with a little room for manoeuvre in the skirt created by folds in the ruching creating a gathered effect. This is also slimming. Take a leaf out of Posh's book with a green floral dress from New Look, £35.99. PRINTS Marks & Spencer know what they're doing when it comes to figure flattering fits and this strapless polka dot dress, £35, ticks two body-con boxes. Not only does it have the ruching that covers a multitude of sins but the eye-catching, polka dot print is brilliant for disguising anything you don't want to draw attention to. With a straight silhouette its body-con without being tight, plus it has a light mesh overlay which gives the illusion of the dress being loose. Plus, spots are bang on trend. PLEATS 8 Pleats are a perennial trend that never fades - and TU at Sainsbury's has this hybrid body-con wrap dress which is ideal for anyone a little conscious of their stomach. At £22 it's made from plisse which is a pleated texture created by applying a solution that shrinks part of the fabric. The vertical lines and pencil shape are slimming and the knot at the smallest part of the waist draws the eye's attention there, creating the perfect hourglass shape. It's also an ultra comfortable material. SHIRRING Similar to the plisse texture, shirring does a similar job - and is very popular on the high street this season. Despite its tightly stitched together look, shirring is hugely comfortable as it has elastic running through each panel so you can breathe and look good without the need for a tiered, tent-like dress. Next's £30 mini dress available in pastel blue, green and floral, with short sleeves and frilled hem contours the body whilst the rows of shirring conceal everything beneath the dress. Which means not only is it flattering but there's no VPL so wear your comfiest briefs without fear of them being glaringly obvious.
