Safer Ageing Week 2024: CEO Opening Statement

Take Note: There are 53 million reasons why economic abuse is criminal behaviour. 

This year we are focused on economic abuse and this epidemic that blights the lives of millions of older people. We can now reveal that over £53 million has been stolen or defrauded from Hourglass helpline callers in the last three years - but we also know that this is a gross underestimate and likely puts the real figure at over £250 million.  

Theft is theft. But taking money from an older person is often thought to be a victimless crime. We hear stories where families believe that ‘taking money without permission’ is acceptable as the older person no longer needs the money. Or that it is the family’s inheritance and they’re ‘just taking it early’. But these are simply excuses for abuse. Excuses that are 53 million times wrong. Especially when 61% of perpetrators of this abuse are close family members, most often adult sons and daughters.

While the ongoing economic crisis exacerbates these issues further, this is not an epidemic brought about by financial insecurity alone. This tide of abuse has existed for years yet continues to remain hidden and ignored by those who can do something about it. So today we call on the financial sector and the four legislatures of the UK to Take Note and play your part to end this aspect of abuse against older people. 

Economic abuse is often a gateway to so many other abuse areas - and crimes. We hear this from our service users daily in calls which may begin with a terrible story of fraud or theft - but this often occurs in tandem with coercive control and psychological or physical abuse and neglect. 

Hourglass is here to support victim-survivors and to work with families and professionals. Our unique policy unit create strategies and campaigns that advise the four governments of the UK. These campaigns rely not just on being heard - but also for the age sector and domestic abuse sector to come together to address this issue and to build a platform that finds real solutions. This must involve the private financial sector too. Our dedicated Frontline Services Team are here 24/7 to take calls and provide solutions and support – and foster protection against abuse.

Therefore, as we launch the fifth Safer Ageing Week, we make a call to Take Note. To end the economic abuse of older people and to build new collaborations that support older men and women affected, and to end economic abuse.

It’s time to Take Note. It’s time to stop finding excuses for abuse, theft and fraud. It wouldn’t be acceptable in any other context and change is overdue. 

Richard Robinson, CEO