For Immediate Release

11 March 2020

• Coronavirus crisis highlights Government failure to adequately invest in prevention

• No comprehensive plan of action to respond to the challenges of longer lives

Responding to the Budget Statement David Sinclair, Director of the International Longevity Centre UK (ILC) commented:

“The Government has yet again missed an opportunity to recognise the enormity of the policy challenges which come from us living increasingly longer lives.”

“We are failing to maximise the economic potential of longer lives; we are failing to invest in preventing ill health; social care is in crisis; and we know pensioner poverty will start to increase.”

“We have no comprehensive plan of action to respond to the challenges of demographic change.”

“At the same time, we continue to fail to invest seriously to make the most of the potential social and economic opportunity of longevity.”

“The Coronavirus crisis highlights how we have been far too complacent about the impact of infectious diseases despite the fact a major pandemic has been increasingly likely.”

“In the short term there is an immediate need to invest to protect our most vulnerable citizens and ensure our health care system can cope. We very much welcome the Government commitment to ensure the NHS will have the funding it needs.”

“But over the next few years we need to significantly push more health spending towards the prevention of ill health. Investing in the prevention of ill health will result in fewer vulnerable people when the next crisis happens. It is also key to help the Government achieve its ambitious goal of ensuring people can enjoy at least 5 extra healthy, independent years of life by 2035.”

“Longevity could offer a huge economic return for UK PLC. By 2040, over-50s could be spending 63p in every pound. And supporting people to spend or work for longer could add 2% to UK GDP every year.”

“Yet the cost of lost productivity as a result of largely preventable diseases already exceeds £500 billion in better off countries every year.”

“We won’t deliver an economic longevity dividend without investing in health systems.”

“The lack of commitments on adult social care are a real concern. The system is already in crisis. A commitment to cross party talks on the funding of social care may be welcome, but it must not kick spending decisions into the long grass again. Inaction and delay by successive Governments have created a crisis which requires an urgent solution.”

Contact: Harry Curzon 07745222553 or 0207 3400440 HarryCurzon@ilcuk.org.uk

About: The International Longevity Centre

The ILC is the UK’s specialist think tank on the impact of longevity on society, and what happens next. We believe society has to adapt now so we can all enjoy the benefits of longevity. We want a society that works for everyone, regardless of their age. We know the numbers. We know the challenges. What happens next will define us for generations.

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