Britain's Elderly: The Forgotten Poor (Poverty Documentary) | Real Stories

Won't you forgive me? I didn't know Margaret during her lifetime, but since her death I feel like I've gotten to know Margaret quite well. She was 87 years old at the time of her death and I was tasked with trying to track her down. Unsuccessful family, I have to say because unfortunately no one survived it, so I am here today to say goodbye to Margaret instead of family and friends who

real

ly should be here in my place. You know, none of us

real

ly want to face our own mortality. but let me tell you I often think that but by the grace of God I go because this could happen to any of us, it could happen to me, it could happen to you just depending on the circumstances of your life as it progresses and it's a Quite a sobering thought.

I cannot bear the thought of dying in the same lonely circumstances in which I see these people have died in almost two and a half million older people in the UK live below the

poverty

line that many of them fought against. a war that defends the freedom that we now enjoy, but who today find themselves living in isolation, facing their final empty years, suffering verbal and sometimes physical abuse at the hands of family members or caregivers, being moved from one nursing home to another, we want to end to this. as humanly possible to the situation in which people are facing

poverty

and old age because I don't want there to be

forgotten

people in Britain that we want to build up.

How well are we caring for the most vulnerable members of society? Edie lives. in a local authority care home in the south of England, Edie and her husband Stan moved here three years ago, just six months later Stan died, he was always singing and any of the girls you talk to there will tell you that staying was the life he was a carefree man he wasn't ready to die I went to the shops this morning bought my cigarettes and that's where I miss just sitting on the wall I'm having a cigarette with me Edie feels it My husband's life was cut short for the events that unfolded during the two years before they arrived at the house.

His problems began when they fell behind on child support payments to his apartment. My daughter's husband said he will buy it for you and you can live with us. and we will take care of you and we didn't see any money and no money came into our hands for the duplex they bought, they made a new kitchen, a new dining area and they turned our bedroom into a living room and we had to live up there and then it started to get worse they beat us my husband they beat him brutally once my daughter's husband was hitting my husband I just went up to him I slapped him in the face he threw me into the bathroom and paid everywhere For me, Hector, he too He used to hit my daughter and I couldn't understand why he wouldn't let me call the place and he kicked me violently with an iron ball and he had marks on his back from the day he died and the air and the machete that I hit him oh it was him, not her and if we buy a bottle of sherry it opens, it pours on my quilt, we were not allowed traffic, this you know, there are so many things that are because I can't remember them because it hurts me to keep talking about these memories, have you ever do they come back to you eating?

Yes, it always comes back to me. It was always to scare people. We scared people away from travel. The television was too loud if I received any. letters that I never received were torn they didn't allow me to have fun because unfortunately I cooked and I cried and I can't cry here they drown me I can't cry I wish I could come Eugene is 77 years old and lives alone in a one-bedroom apartment and sometimes he goes four days without speaking to another soul they were married over 20 years a wife Jade simply the only person who knew that about my own mother brothers and sisters were caught late I lost contact with him years ago just since he moved into the apartment he has been robbed repeatedly and feels chased by the children of the farm the first tournament was good but after that it was hell on earth fear me sometimes they shook me like you know, I can sleep at night everything was trampled everywhere.

I know that the children inside were breaking into the care of those harmful cares. There is no control over them. A parent won't do anything about it. He just wanted to keep them away from my house, but. I couldn't and overcame the fear of Eleanor for the last five years, they broke my spirit. I don't even have the color to clean the place because I know what's going to happen again. Sometimes I wish I could get my way. That's hmm, that's not right I know I'm not old I have nothing to look forward to I'm at the end of my rope End of my day Last time the kids broke the locks they broke off the door frame Eugene now has to hold the door closed with a chair I won't allow it but nothing from a number just to be left alone let me live my own life all I can say he will never die in P and P in this in this block could we live?

No, Eugene has two children who he believes are in New Zealand and he feels that he will probably die without seeing them again. I don't want them to know if they have a diet when I die, we don't want them because I don't want to. I want to put them at the expense no, it really bothers me how best it is with my father before we hate Adi in my absence I didn't worry him, I didn't know he was dead to say with my brother, I didn't know when they taught the level he said oh I met a guy where I belong I don't see they told me that and he told me my mother was dead what could I do I couldn't start crying I could make a fool of myself means one the world could I, who do you think will miss you?

No one. Don't admit that I miss you. I don't have acquaintances here. No no. Wow, I escaped the physical and mental abuse of his son-in-law. Edie was found safe. refuge in a local authority nursing home, but even this sanctuary will be short-lived as social services budgets are under intense pressure to allow for spending on health and education. Nursing homes are closing across the country, sometimes pushing residents into beds in local hospitals. Edie has been told that her house is scheduled to close because no one sees you why it is closing, there is the council, they have no money so we have to go ahead and do it or win the poll, can we move together?

I really don't. I don't want to leave here. I already feel angry thinking about it. This is our home. It's our home. Why should they take away our happiness? Because that's what they're going to do, especially if they put us in another home. and that the houses are going to close and we will have to go through this again and I am going to glue my chair because they are not going to move me Sheila is 71 years old, she has been living on the streets periodically for 20 years and now she is a different person without home. person Malcolm Lucas after Sheila took her around her house in central London her life fell apart with the death of her husband when she was in her early 50s I felt terrible, you know, lost on my own, you know, and I got so depressed the council kicked us out because we couldn't pay the rent they just arrived the baby has come it took the whole beginning locked up with nowhere to go I mean the dog I slept on the bench in the park that part of the court order Sheila then became homeless and had to rely more and more on her wheelchair as her health worsened.

She spent some time staying in Ben's hostels and breakfasts, but she also became accustomed to the hardships of sleeping rough that people despise here. street I think everyone doesn't understand me they are trash and we are not all we are not all the same there is someone's bed tonight yes ours especially the old people who care about me an old woman walks alone they have to sleep here in the cold I think it is funny to see that's why the country is leaving. I mean, the Prime Minister should wake up to see what's going on but he doesn't, his back is turned, it's not good that he should wake up. do something, I mean, take care of this country, I'll say son of a country, first you take care of this country, they got a sailor, the conga game, most of the people in beautiful warm beds, they're bold, they look up, Think, girl, we set up this house, why do that? bed Oh, I'm freezing pretty bad last night, but tonight is going to be a great night.

I will tell. I wish I was that tired. Is incredible. You know, I went to sleep last night. I cried all that last night. So that if? Fades all night. last night you can even that gun at two we are worried about him and you are walking all day it is very boring you walk around you have a fire somewhere to sit you have a fire somewhere to go your body is exhausted, you hit people, You don't really mean it, you don't sleep, you're tired, irritable, it's a horrible feeling, you know, I mean, sometimes I can't sleep because you never know who's there, you never know what's coming out and you sit down.

Sitting in a chair all night but with two blankets on top so you sleep upright and every night in your wheelchair, yes, sitting in that chair, the blankets when I look down the road and see people hooking up and I think the chair would like be able to do it. walk like that or go back to work like I miss you, I don't think so, I've fallen, I'll cry a lot, I cried last night as a recipient, I'll mostly sit there now, it's on the blanket on top of me, no problem. So how long will it be before they find her?

They estimate approximately a week. Well, you know, go and buy the date on the food. When an

elderly

person dies in isolation and his body remains undiscovered for days or weeks, it is up to local authorities. to organize her estate and organize a funeral she is a slime in the bathroom yes half was a very isolated person he mocked the council official as if Marguerite had to construct a picture of the life she just ended what religion was the dead person and do they have family to inherit some money? Margaret Renard was 87 when she died two weeks earlier and she still lives with fierce independence, rejecting offers of support from estate staff.

Her body has been taken from her but, otherwise, her house has been left exactly as she was. I found the Bank of Cyprus with a sum of money in balance on March 31 this year, which means that she had a bank account and it was not credit, so if I find any relatives, I mean they would be the beneficiaries of that if If we are not related and it is over 500 pounds and it goes to the crown, yes and I absolutely hate giving money to the crown so it is a very good incentive for me to find a relative, let me tell you this is a job application at Hilton Hotels International Place. birth Canada now we know she was born in Canada and Orthodox religion now what does that mean?

Could it mean she was Jewish? I need to know what religion it is to have a proper funeral. Now here's a letter addressed to her in Casablanca, Morocco and you see how varied a life can be, I mean, she's just been to Canada, to Belgium, back to Canada, she's lived in Morocco, God knows where else. and you've probably been to other places just to visit. Certainly not, he had traveled a lot and by sounding very well educated I would say this is an identification card there is Margaret sir 1939 and her nationality is British this is from the benefits service and it is one of their huge twelve page forms for one to fill out eighty-four year old person I think it's pretty incredible, I mean I've known cases in my time doing this work where people have actually taken their own lives rather than being afraid of being kicked off their fixed date benefit that will end on April 16.

Well, it's necessary. Don't worry darling because she died in you won't have to pay her anymore. Fred is 76 years old and lives in the largest homeless shelter in Europe. He is one of the few people left alive who was born in an asylum after his mother. I was raped by the local landowner's son 28 my grandmother I had to be born in a workhouse for the council to take my partner to court and make him pay I'm still only 16 at the start of the Second World War Fred was recommended by his intelligence regiment military and was trained to work undercover in occupied Europe training you would be surprised what you went through we went on a mission sometimes I went by the skin of my teeth my parachute fell out another time uncle road sea crossing depending on where he was 60 years later, Fred still He is haunted by memories of some of the things he had to do and in 1943 I had to leave a small boarding house with cars, there was a whole empire.

Oh, the Gestapo agents were staying here and I just had to do it. Hey, that was good if I get upset when you see someone murdered, you should think twice, you had a job to do and you had to do it because other people can depend on your success half a century later, Fred is seeing his days. in a ten foot by seven foot room when you wake up in the morning Fred, what do you do with yourself? Well, I watch TV downstairs and generally how much you can do. This is a god. Some you get used to other archers. feeling to rule all your thought and if we don't think of Tyrion and don't care at rest, I feel sad in my heart because you're here, I'm wrong to feel that, ohright, do you want to stay here?

Do you want to stay here for the rest of your life mate, it's a lovely house and it's a saint to close it really it's a sin to close it despite your protests the council are going ahead with closing Edie's house and as more and more more residents are moved by their families or died, the number of people left in the house is decreasing, unfortunately the summer passed and some went to different houses at first. Marco and Anna weren't very happy where they went, it wasn't discovered that I would. I would like to go. It will be a big buzz for me.

I don't know and I'll accept it. The closure of Edie's home is not unusual as local authority care homes are closed every day to save money from the National Insurance budget, forcing residents into private care homes or geriatric wards. Edie and Vic's fight has been publicized by local newspapers as they have received dozens of letters of support. from Canada you wouldn't think they came from all that the beads are on the opposite side. It is a big surprise to think that we could 85 wish cards in Islamic about what is going to happen, the last chance to save the house from closure is an appeal in London where a High Court judge will make a final decision on the future of Edie Vic Leedy hopes that if the report rules in his favor, it will set a precedent that will save not only his home but also the homes of thousands of seniors around the world.

In the country, the appeal has been dismissed on a legal technicality. Edie's house will now definitely be closed on a technicality; It still seems a very strange decision for a council facing bed blockages and so on, and I'm sure the health service people will also be surprised and possibly a little disappointed by today's result because from their point of view , opening with all those beds occupied will have allowed them to start removing people from the hospital who do not need to be there so that the people who need their operations can be taken to the hospitals.

They throw money at education, but they only get less money from their room in the largest homeless shelter in Europe. Fred is planning one last trip back home to the town where he was born I'll go to a flat to see the views of the rural town sometime a church come on what I got that I think I've done everything they are on the rod King son-in-law owned by my great grandfather this farm here old David English oh yeah remember David English old David English group yeah I was 18 in the family I just go yeah that's my brother Peter he lives half a job and he'd rather pay That's right, he's in Hertfordshire, I just live here on the corner here I was born on the corner Yes, I was born in cottages a long time to choose the lord.

Peck remembers mr. Peck Charlie Beck, yeah, Charlie, pick one that's right, you know, and the post office, no, Richard, yeah, Reggie Fuller and Mrs. Fuller and she had four daughters, what's your name? Although you um, Frank Fraid, baby free city, I still thought everyone was gone and you've been there and made three. Well, I met someone, we will meet again someday. he asked me again goodbye hello I prefer to say in Spain a stellar Easter yes until we meet again very busy boy yes Fred particularly wants to find his grandmother's grave the woman who raised him after his mother died thank you think of everything that God bless you It won't be long before he reappears with joy.

Wait, did you know your mother was buried here? No, this is the first time I've seen six weeks. Do you ever wish you were a young man again? Welcome. It doesn't make sense because that would fall into the category of illusions, all of that has asked me, I served my king and my country when it was time to help and I have never condemned anyone without reason, I have horse salt when you see someone and a difficult position. They said but for the grace of God it could have been me this is the worst part my heart is numb, very numb I feel sad that this happened I was very happy here and I don't know what's out there in front of me and I just hope it's for the best, We are lucky to be alive and among the living my brother says that I am going to prison, every Sunday at ten he brings me money and I have been sending him the printouts of the newspaper. scan there was a Korean you will end up in prison now I'm not going to bail you out we know where we are going they will transfer us again in 18 months yes that will close in 18 months and we haven't if someone had come to talk to us you have come, There are no counselors who come, they should come and talk to us, we are quite easy to talk to.

I did not know Margaret during her life, but since her death I feel I have come to know Margaret quite well, she kept a card from her mother for 60 years that says to my dear daughter Margaret, I look forward to seeing you, my dearest daughter and I pray that it will be very soon, take care of yourself. of you dear Margarita and let us pray that the reunion be very very soon your loving impious mother Margarita do not be afraid I am the first and the last days the Lord I am the Living ashes to ashes dance until death in brief and sure hope of the Resurrection to eternal life let me see all day long let Nina sympathy well-intentioned touch stop the current don't let me see everything I worry about my sight crowd laughter and tension be good don't let me see it except when the The shadows of September fall They steal through the thing, the thing, the thing.