Winter can be especially tough for older people, particularly those facing health or financial challenges. Here’s how Age UK is supporting older Black Britons to stay warm, well and connected.

Age UK is the leading national charity for older people in the United Kingdom. Its core aim is simple but powerful: to help older people live later life with dignity, independence and connection. At a time when people are living longer but not always living well, Age UK’s work has become increasingly important.

For older Black Britons, the charity’s role is especially significant. Many have spent decades working, raising families and contributing to British society, yet face inequalities in health, income and housing in later life. Age UK offers trusted information, practical help and a voice in national debates, helping to ensure that older Black people are neither invisible nor ignored.

A national charity rooted in local communities

Age UK is both a national charity and a network of local organisations. National Age UK produces information guides, runs major services, campaigns for policy change and maintains a comprehensive website and advice line. Across the country, local Age UKs deliver support on the ground, from warm spaces and social clubs to home help, befriending and transport to appointments.

This structure allows Age UK to be present in people’s everyday lives. In many areas, local Age UK branches work closely with Black-led community groups, churches and neighbourhood organisations. They understand that older people’s needs are shaped by culture, family history, faith and migration, and they adapt their support accordingly.

Trusted information and advice

One of Age UK’s most important roles is providing clear, reliable information. As systems become more digital and complicated, many older people struggle to navigate benefits, housing, health and social care. This can be even harder for those who have experienced discrimination or who feel mistrust towards official services.

Age UK offers free, confidential advice on topics such as money and benefits, pension credit, winter fuel support, housing options, care and support, NHS services, legal matters and planning for later life. Much of this information is available on the Age UK website, but there is also a national advice line and local face-to-face or telephone advice in many areas.

For older Black Britons, this guidance can be vital. It can help someone claim the pension credit they did not know they were entitled to, challenge an unfair decision, understand their rights in health and social care, or simply feel more confident dealing with official forms and agencies.

Health, wellbeing and winter support

Health inequalities across Black communities are well documented, and they do not disappear in later life. Conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease are more common, and experiences of health services can be mixed. Age UK’s health and wellbeing work helps older people manage long-term conditions, stay active and recognise early signs of illness.

The charity produces accessible guides and online information on topics like staying steady and preventing falls, keeping active at home, looking after mental wellbeing, managing long-term conditions and understanding medicines and treatments. In winter, this support becomes even more focused. Age UK shares practical advice on staying warm, preventing respiratory infections, understanding who is eligible for vaccines, and knowing when to seek medical help.

Winter can be especially dangerous for older people living in cold, poorly heated homes. Many older Black Britons are living on limited incomes and still feeling the impact of the cost-of-living crisis. Age UK helps people understand the support available, including the Winter Fuel Payment and other financial help, and encourages them not to put their health at risk by turning heating off or skipping meals.

Tackling loneliness and isolation

Loneliness is one of the most serious issues facing older people. It affects physical health, mental wellbeing and overall quality of life. For older Black people, loneliness can be shaped by migration history, bereavement, cultural or language barriers, or being far from family.

Age UK works to reduce isolation in several ways. Local organisations run social clubs, coffee mornings, lunch groups, exercise sessions and cultural activities so that older people have somewhere to go and people to meet. Befriending schemes offer regular phone calls or visits to those who are housebound or living alone. Some areas partner with churches, mosques and community centres to reach people who may not see themselves reflected in mainstream services.

The message behind all this work is that no one should grow old feeling forgotten. Human contact, conversation and a sense of belonging are treated as essential, not optional extras.

Campaigning for fairness in later life

Alongside its practical services, Age UK is a major national voice for older people’s rights. The charity gathers evidence from across the country and uses it to influence government policy and public debate. Its campaigns cover issues such as social care reform, hospital and GP access, pensioner poverty, cost-of-living support, housing standards, age discrimination and digital exclusion.

This campaigning matters for older Black Britons who are often at the sharpest end of these problems. Decades of lower average earnings, insecure work, discrimination and unequal access to services can result in less financial security and poorer health in retirement. By pushing for better pensions, fairer social care and stronger protections for vulnerable older people, Age UK is helping to challenge these long-standing inequalities.

Why Age UK matters to older Black Britons

Older Black Britons have helped shape modern Britain in countless ways, from the post-war generation who rebuilt key industries and the NHS, to those who have led change in culture, politics and public life. Yet in later life, many face a combination of challenges: health conditions that are not always well understood or fairly treated, lower incomes after a lifetime of work, housing that is cold or overcrowded, and a sense that their experiences are not fully recognised.

Age UK’s work helps address some of these injustices. Its information and advice can unlock vital financial support. Its health guidance makes it easier to understand and manage complex conditions. Its local centres offer spaces where older people can meet others, be active and feel valued. Its national campaigns push for a fairer system for everyone in later life, including those from Black and minority ethnic communities who have historically been pushed to the margins.

In short, Age UK stands alongside older people at a time when many feel squeezed by rising prices, long NHS waits and shrinking local support. For older Black Britons, whose contributions to British life are significant yet often under-recognised, the charity offers practical help, listening ears and a voice in the national conversation about ageing.