Homes | The State of Ageing 2023-24
Everyone’s home should be a sanctuary. This is an overview of the unsuitable, dangerous homes many older people live in.
The State of Ageing 2023-24 is the most detailed, varied and up-to-date report about ageing in England.
You can navigate through the full report using the purple content footer. Hovering over the graphs reveals more data, and you can get more information by clicking the ‘find out more’ buttons.
Key points
- Millions of people live in homes that are damaging their health and wellbeing – homes that are damp, cold and have trip hazards. Alongside this, the cost-of-living crisis and rising energy prices mean that many older people are cutting back on heating their home. For these people, the combination of poverty and living in poor-quality homes can mean worsening health and even death.
- Half of the 3.5 million non-decent homes in England – those that fail to meet basic decency criteria as defined by the government – are headed by someone aged 55 or over (49%). This equates around 2.6 million people aged 55 and over living in a non-decent home.
- Across England, the rates of poor-quality homes vary significantly. There are almost double the number of non-decent homes headed by someone aged 55 and over in northern regions compared to in London and the South East.
- The number of people aged 50 and over living in privately rented homes doubled between 2001 and 2021. Renting privately means higher levels of financial insecurity. More than one in three (37%) people of pension age in the private rented sector are living in relative poverty.
- Alongside this, the highest proportion of non-decent homes are in the private rented sector. This means older private renters are likely to live in poor-quality homes, without the financial ability to repair their homes or find more suitable accommodation, and with insufficient ability to compel landlords to take action.
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Complete our survey- Homeowners also face challenges. Recent analysis suggests the greatest number of people aged 55 and over in poverty are found in the owner-occupied sector rather than in the private or social rented sector.
- There are also far higher numbers of older people living in poor quality homes that they own rather than rent. Due to the postcode lottery in older homeowners receiving support for home improvements and adaptations, alongside the unfair stereotype of wealth and home ownership, many older people are unable to access support to improve their homes.
- Taken together, people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds aged 50 or over are more than five times more likely to be living in housing deprivation than White British people. However, there’s huge variation across different minority ethnic groups: more than one in three (36%) Bangladeshi and more than one in four (29%) Black African people aged 50 and over live in housing deprivation compared to only 4% of White British people. Housing deprivation is defined by the ONS as a property that is either overcrowded, a shared property, or one without central heating.
- Making homes warmer and more efficient would reduce levels of cold-related illnesses such as asthma, strokes, heart disease and mental health conditions. But, shockingly, those most affected by such illnesses are more likely to live in cold and draughty homes. Analysis shows that homes headed by someone aged 75 or over are the most likely to have the lowest two energy ratings of F and G – these are properties with the poorest energy efficiency and therefore the hardest to heat.
- Four million older people want to move but only a fraction will do so. Moving house is expensive and complicated, and it can be difficult to find a property that meets a person’s needs. Fewer than one in ten (9%) homes have even the four basic access features for the lowest level of accessibility (a WC at entrance level; flush threshold; sufficiently wide doorways and circulation space; level access).
What needs to happen
We need focused action from all levels of government to tackle the national housing quality crisis.
The UK government should:
- Develop a national strategy to fix cold and dangerous homes that are damaging people’s health. This should set out detailed plans to improve poor-quality homes of all tenure types across England and bring together work on housing from multiple government departments. It must be backed by sufficient, long-term funding and include a mechanism for delivery at a local level, such as Good Home Hubs.
- Make all new homes accessible so that Disabled and older people can live in a home that enables them to live independently and with dignity. To do this, the government must urgently deliver on its longstanding commitment to raise accessibility standards for all new homes without further delay.
Local government should:
- Provide local one-stop shops on all aspects of home repairs and adaptations, with support on everything from finding trusted tradespeople and identifying what work needs to be done, to how to finance repairs and improve energy efficiency. We call this a Good Home Hub. Local Good Home Hubs would build on the good practice in home improvement services already in place across England. They would form a network to share best practice and learning and would be supported by a national framework, adapted to suit different areas, so that wherever you live you would receive the same high-quality support.
National investment in our homes
National government has taken out £2.3bn from home improvement initiatives over the last decade
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What does the chart show?
- Over the past decade, there has been a withdrawal of £2.3 billion in public expenditure on home improvement grants: money provided from national government to local authorities, which is then distributed as grants to help people make adaptations or essential repairs to their home.
- More was spent in the six years from 2005/06 to 2010/11 than in the last 11 years (2016/17 to 2021/22).
We also know that:
- Had the average annual level of homes supported between 2001/02 and 2010/11 been maintained from 2011/12 to 2021/22, a further 586,500 properties would’ve been renovated in England.
- This is the equivalent of nearly a third of homes with Category 1 hazards, the most serious problems. In reality, the number of these households that local authorities have directly supported has halved.
More is being spent on Disabled Facilities Grants but due to rising costs, fewer people are being supported
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What does the graph show?
- There’s been a steady growth in the number of Disabled Facilities Grants awarded, reaching over 58,000 in 2019-20.
- However, there was a significant reduction in the number of grants issued in 2020/21 and 2021/22, despite increased funding.
- This is likely to be the result of falls in local authority contributions and because the value of individual grants given to people has increased.
Quality of our homes
Nearly 8 million people live in an unsafe home: approximately 2.6 million of these are aged 55 and over and 1.8 million are children.
Where the home is non-decent and headed by someone aged 55 and over:
- 547,000 people are living in poverty
- 1,395,000 are living in a household in which someone is disabled or has a long-term condition
- 109,000 are living in a home where someone uses a wheelchair
(See Technical Report for more information).
Owner-occupied homes are the tenure type with the largest number of poor-quality homes (2.1 million across all ages). But the biggest proportion of poor-quality homes is found in the private rented sector, where almost a quarter of homes are unsafe
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What does the chart show?
- There are 777,000 owner-occupied homes and a similar number of privately rented homes headed by someone aged 54 or under that are non-decent (i.e. they fail to meet basic decency criteria as defined by the government).
- Where the head of the household is aged 55 or over, the greatest number of non-decent homes are in the owner-occupied sector (consistent with the fact that this is the most common tenure type for people in this age group):
- 76% of non-decent homes that are headed by someone aged 55 and over are owner occupied.
- There are 1.3 million owner occupied homes and a quarter of a million privately rented homes headed by someone aged 55 or over that are non-decent.
- And there are 409,000 owner-occupied homes with a household head aged 75 or over that are non-decent.
- In every age group, the largest proportion of non-decent homes is found in the private rented sector: between 22 and 26% of private rented homes with a household head aged 74 or younger is non-decent, but this proportion jumps to 38% among private rented homes headed by someone aged 75 or over.
- Overall, half of the 3.5 million non-decent homes in England are headed by someone aged 55 and over (49%). A third are headed by someone aged 65 and over.
We also know that:
- Poor quality homes are a huge contributor to poor health, adding significant pressure to the NHS, with first-year treatment alone costing £1.4bn a year.
- Although the number of non-decent homes is declining, the lack of focus on existing homes by national government means that between 2021 and 2022 the number of non-decent homes decreased by 73,000 – the smallest reduction since 2015.
* The Decent Homes Standard was introduced in 2006. It looks at how safe a home is, or whether it contains elements such as damp which might harm the health and wellbeing of the inhabitants. For a dwelling to be considered ‘decent’ under the Decent Homes Standard, it must:
- meet the statutory minimum standard for housing (that is, it is free of Category 1 hazards – i.e. anything that causes a ‘serious and immediate risk’ to their occupants’ health and safety. Category 1 hazards are the most common reason for failing the decent homes standard)
- provide a reasonable degree of thermal comfort
- be in a reasonable state of repair
- have reasonably modern facilities and services
There are large disparities in the prevalence of non-decent homes across England: Northern regions have almost double the number of non-decent older households as London and the South East
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What does the chart show?
- The proportion of non-decent homes among older households is higher in Northern and ‘Rest of England’ regions than in London and the South East.
- A fifth of homes headed by someone aged 55-64 in the North and ‘Rest of England’ are non-decent, compared to fewer than one in ten in London and the South East.
We also know that:
The average (mean) cost to make an individual home safer is £3,434. However, 60% of poor housing could be remedied with an investment of just £2,100.
- There are 2.3 million homes in England with at least one Category 1 hazard (something that poses a serious and immediate risk to a person’s health and safety) with 28% of these headed by someone aged 65 and over.
- The two most prevalent Category 1 hazards in the English housing stock are excessive cold and falls associated with stairs. Unsurprisingly, these hazards are more dangerous to older people and not only risk damage to someone’s health but put more pressure on the NHS in terms of emergency care and inability to discharge to an unsafe home.
Damp and mould is common in the private rented sector
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What the chart shows:
- Older people living in the private rented sector are more likely than those living in any other tenure type to report living in homes that have condensation, damp or mould: 39% of private renters aged 50-69 and 29% of those aged 70 or over say their homes have these hazards.
- 16% of 50-69 year olds who own their homes outright and a further quarter (23%) of this age group who own their home with a mortgage also reported problems with condensation, damp or mould. For owner occupiers aged 70 and over, the figures are lower – 10% and 7%, respectively.
We also know that:
- Living in a home with damp and mould predominantly affects the airways and lungs. The respiratory effects of damp and mould can cause serious illness and, in the most severe cases, death.
Nearly one in five older Black and Minority Ethnic people are living in housing deprivation
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What does the chart show?
- 5% of the total population aged 50 and over in England lives in a household that is deprived in the housing dimension (that is, it is either overcrowded, in a shared dwelling, or has no central heating).
- But the average for people aged 50 and over from Black and Minority Ethnic backgrounds is 19%.
- Looking at specific minority ethnic groups, we see enormous variation: 36% of Bangladeshi people, 29% of Black African people and 27% of Pakistani people aged 50 and over are living in housing deprivation compared to 4% of the White British population.
We also know that:
- Households headed by people from minority ethnic backgrounds are more than three times as likely as White people to experience two or more co-existing housing problems, including affordability, overcrowding, or living in a non-decent home, which can directly harm health.
A third of older people living in housing deprivation have a disability that limits their day-to-day activities
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What does the chart show?
- Of the 1.1 million people aged 50 or over living in household deprivation, more than 318,000 have a disability that limits their day-to-day activities either a little (156,000) or a lot (162,000).
- This means that 29% of people aged 50 and older who are living in housing deprivation have a limiting disability.
- The prevalence of a limiting disability among people in housing deprivation increases with age.
For example, while 12% of people aged 50-64 in housing deprivation have a disability that limits their day-to-day activities a lot, this increases to 27% among people 75 and older.
We also know that:
- 37% of homes classed as non-decent are occupied by at least one person with a long-term illness or disability.
- Currently, 91% of homes do not provide even the four basic access features for the lowest level of accessibility – a home that is ‘visitable’.
- Across the country, 1 million homes are lived in by someone who requires an adaptation but is going without; a third of these people are aged 55 and over.
- It has been estimated that some 400,000 wheelchair users are living in homes that are neither adapted nor accessible.
Poor-quality housing is more common in lower income households
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What does the chart show?
- Lower-income households are more likely to be living in a non-decent home.
- Over a third of privately rented homes headed by someone aged 55 or over who is in the lowest income quintile are non-decent, compared to one in six in the highest income quintile.
- It is a similar picture among owner-occupied homes: a fifth of such homes headed by someone aged 55 or over who is in the lowest income quintile are non-decent, compared to just over one in ten in the highest income quintile.
- Across all tenures with a household head aged 55 or over, there are over 400,000 non-decent homes among households with the lowest levels of income. This compares to nearly 240,000 for households with the highest levels of income.
Older people and the private rented sector
Most older people own their own home – but since 2001, the number of people aged 50 and over in the private rented sector has nearly doubled and is set to rise further
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What does the chart show?
- The number of people aged 50 and over who rent privately (or live rent-free) has doubled from one to two million in the 20 years to 2021.
- The acceleration has been most rapid in the last decade. From 2001 to 2011, there was a 27% increase in the number of people aged 50 and over privately renting. Between 2011 and 2021, that number increased by 54%.
- This means that 9% of people aged 50 and over rent privately, up from 7% in 2011.
- The number of people aged 50 and over who own their own homes or live in the social rented sector has also increased over this 20-year period (as a consequence of population growth), but to a much smaller degree than in the private rented sector.
People aged 50 and over from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds are more likely to be private renters than White British people, they are more likely to live in insecure housing and spend more of their income on housing costs in later life
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What does the chart show?
- Overall, the majority (54%) of people aged 50 and over own their homes outright – but there is large variation by ethnic group.
- Outright home ownership among people aged 50 and over ranges from 8% of Black African to 57% of White British people.
- The ethnic groups with the largest proportion of owner occupiers aged 50 and over (either owning their home outright or with a mortgage or loan) are Indian (84%), White British (79%) and Chinese (78%).
- Almost one-third (31%) of people aged 50 and over in the Other White group (a group comprising Gypsy, Irish Traveller, Roma people and other people of White backgrounds) live in privately rented accommodation.
- There is also large variation in the proportion of people in socially rented accommodation: this ranges from 6% of Indian people to 45% of Black African people aged 50 and over.
Tenure and affordability
Nearly two million older households are living in poverty, the majority of whom are home-owners
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What does the chart show?
- 4 million households are in poverty, of which 1.8 million (45%) are headed by someone aged 55 and over.
- Of the 1.8 million homes headed by someone 55 and over and living in poverty, most (1.2 million; 68%) are owner occupied.
- 12% of all households in poverty – and more than a quarter of all owner-occupied households in poverty – are headed by someone aged 75 and over.
There are 1.6 million households in England headed by someone aged 65 or over who have no savings
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What does the chart show?
- Across tenure types, social renters are the most likely to have no savings: this is the case for almost 80% of homes headed by someone aged 45-64 and 47% of those aged 75 or over in this sector.
We also know that:
- Almost half (47%) of homes headed by someone aged 75 or over who have a mortgage, have no savings.
- People who own their homes outright are most likely to have the highest levels of savings – more than one in three (38%) heads of households aged 45-74 have savings of £16,000 or more.
Nearly a fifth of all pension age adults live in relative poverty, with the highest rates among those who rent in the private or social sectors
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What does the chart show?
- In 2021/22, 18% of all pension-age adults were in relative poverty. This is 4.3 percentage points higher than the 20-year low for this figure achieved in 2012/13.
- Rates of relative poverty among pension-age adults living in the private and social rented sector are much higher than for those who own their own homes (whether outright or with a mortgage). In 2020/21, 37% of pension-age adults renting privately and 36% of those socially renting were in relative poverty – three times the proportion seen among owner occupiers (13%).
- Rates of relative poverty in the private and social rented sector have fluctuated much more over time than for the owner-occupied sector.
- Between 2002/03 and the present day, rates of relative poverty in the owner-occupied sector have had a range of eight percentage points – from a high of 18% in 2002/03 to a low of 10% in 2011/12 and 2013/14.
- In contrast, rates of relative poverty in the social rented sector have ranged from 20% to 40%. Rates in this sector are currently almost back at their 2002/03 levels, at 36%.
Older private renters spend almost half of their income on rent (exclusive of housing support)
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What does the chart show?
- Household heads aged 65-74 who rent privately spend 47% of their income on rent exclusive of housing support (just under 40% inclusive of housing support), almost the same as the youngest renters (aged 16-24).
- Private renters in nearly every age group pay a greater proportion of their income on rent or mortgage than do social renters or people with a mortgage.
We also know that:
- Analysis of data from the 8th Financial Fairness Tracker survey (abrdn Financial Fairness Trust; see Technical Report for details) shows that 51% of all people aged 50-69 have seen an increase in their rental and mortgage costs in the last six months. The top three reasons outlined for this were:
- The landlord or housing provider had increased the rent
- There was an increase in the service charge or ground rent on their building
- A variable rate or tracker mortgage
- 42% of all people aged 50-69 reported that their rental/mortgage costs have gone up by up as much as £300 in the last 6 months. This increases to 52% when just including private renters.
More than one in five older female renters have less than £100 left per month after paying rent
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What does the chart show?
- 15% of renters aged 65 and over in England have less than £100 per month after paying rent. Almost three in ten (29%) have £199 or less.
- There is a significant gender divide, with over one in five women reporting that they had less than £100 after paying rent (21%) compared to one in ten men (10%).
Last winter, two-thirds of older people across all tenures used less heating than normal because they were concerned about their bills
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What does the chart show?
- Last winter, rising energy prices meant millions of people tried to reduce their energy usage or save money in other ways. Owner-occupiers with a mortgage aged 50-69 were the most likely (72%) of all tenure types in this age group to avoid turning on the heating or turning it on less than usual.
- Around two-thirds of people aged 50-69 across all tenures wore more clothes than usual to keep warm indoors.
- Three in five private renters aged 50-69 reduced the use of their cooker or oven.
- 40% of people living in both the private and socially rented sectors reduced the amount of money spent on food.
- 42% of people living in both the private and socially rented sectors reduced the number of baths or showers taken.
We also know that:
- As a result of rising housing costs, more people were living in fuel poverty in 2022 compared to the previous year, despite the government’s Energy Price Guarantee which limited the price of energy.
- Around one in three (34%) adults reported that cutting back on heating in their home had affected their health or wellbeing in the past month.
- 800,000 people aged 60 and over left their home in January 2023 to stay warm elsewhere.
- The number of deaths that can be directly attributed to cold homes between December 2021 and March 2022 was 4,020, which equates to 45 a day.
Older people are the most likely to live in the hardest to heat homes
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What does the chart show?
These graphs show the SAP (Standard Assessment Procedure) energy ratings given to homes. It is a standard government measurement which rates the most energy efficient homes as band A and the least as band G.
- The older the head of the household is, the more likely they are to be living in a home that’s not energy efficient and therefore harder to keep warm.
- Homes headed by someone aged 75 or over are twice as likely to have the lowest energy ratings (bands E to G; 16%) as homes headed by someone aged 54 or younger (8%).
- Only 41% of homes headed by someone aged 75 and over are energy efficient (bands A to C) compared with 54% of homes headed by someone aged 54 or below.
We also know that:
- An average household in a home with an EPC of D or below – at least 15.3 million UK households – will pay an ‘inefficiency penalty’ for inadequate heating. This means they pay £580 more than the average household living in a home rated EPC C or better.
- Households with the lowest energy efficiency ratings are more likely to be experiencing problems with damp than those with higher energy efficiency ratings.
Housing options in later life
There is a significant gap between where older people would like to live and the housing choices available to them
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What does the chart show?
- Four million older people want to move but few will achieve it.
- 22% of people aged 50 and over would prefer to move than stay in their current home but only 5% think they will actually move in the next year.
- It is a similar picture for people aged 70 and over: 14% of this age group would like to move but only 3% think that they actually will.
We also know that:
- Older people are actively seeking to move home, for a variety of reasons – feeling disconnected from their neighbourhood, their home doesn’t meet their needs, or they want to live closer to family.
- Of those who have moved recently, the majority did so for family or personal reasons. Many also moved because they wanted a smaller house or flat, particularly those who own their own homes.
- 64% of older people who live in the private rented sector do so because they can’t afford to buy a home.
- 23% of private renters aged 65 or over last moved because they were evicted.
- Whatever the motivation for moving, it is undoubtedly a costly and demanding process – financially, emotionally and physically. One of the most significant barriers is finding a new home that meets a person’s needs now and into the future, with only a very small minority of homes accessible. Finding an accessible home is a challenge, with very few estate agents and search engines listing these features. With an ageing population, work is needed to increase the supply and visibility of accessible homes.
