Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The charity helping ‘extremely isolated’ pensioners whose mood is low and anxiety high

Comic Relief

A diet of cereal and bread is becoming all too common among the disadvantaged elderly in rural Wrexham. Socially isolated and too frail to go outdoors alone, they sit in the cold and live off one meal a day to try and save money on gas and electric.

“Their clothes look looser each time I see them,” said Hayley Scott, community agent for the Welsh charity, Rainbow Foundation. “They’re cold all the time. They layer up with jumpers and blankets but they still sit there shivering. They need to heat the house but they won’t because they’re terrified of the bills. Even their clothes are dirty because they don’t want to spend money on washing.”

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.