Is this the most heart-breaking advert ever? Gut-wrenching Age UK commercial depicts ‘brutal’ realities of cost-of-living Britain – as freezing pensioners experience power cuts, ride buses to keep warm and beg phone operators for help
- Short film was released as part of Age UK’s ‘Know what to do’ winter campaign
- Soaring costs fuelling ‘second major health emergency’, health chiefs warn
A gut-wrenching Age UK advert depicting the reality of cost-of-living Britain has ‘hit home’ for many, as viewers said the film showing pensioners sat alone in the dark and unable to afford to put the heating on brought them to tears.
The short film, part of charity Age UK’s ‘Know what to do’ campaign, was made to shine a spotlight on the tough challenges many people over-60 are facing this winter.
It starts off with a man polishing his shoes and listening to the radio, while an older woman happily chats on the landline to the tune of 1960s soul classic Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy.
But then suddenly the lights go out and the music cuts off, leaving the man sitting alone in the dark.
The woman is then seen shaking as she cries down the phone because she cannot afford to put the heating on, while a man is seen riding a bus alone before being told by the conductor: ‘Sorry mate, it’s time to go home.’
When the elderly woman says, ‘I’m so cold, I don’t know what to do anymore’, the person the other end of the phone responds: ‘It’s okay, let’s get you some help.’
The advert is highlighting the problems many older people are facing including struggling to afford energy bills and being socially isolated.
But Age UK wants to point out that ‘no one needs to cope with these issues alone and that Age UK is there to help.’
Viewers reacted to the ‘powerful’ campaign film, saying it had ‘hit home’ and thanked the charity for its ‘powerful and humbling advert’.
In the advert, the lights go out and the music cuts off, leaving the man sitting alone in the dark
An elderly woman is seen shaking as she cries down the phone because she cannot afford to put the heating on
A man is seen riding a bus alone before being told by the conductor: ‘Sorry mate, it’s time to go home.’
One person said: ‘Wow that Age UK advert has my jaw on the floor what the hell has this country come to that they have to do an advert like that’.
Another posted: ‘Just watch this advert on TV. Really moved me. Thank you @age_uk for highlighting the very real issues facing people’.
A third added: ‘The Age UK advert just fully broke my heart’.
Viewers reacted to the Age UK advert
Earlier this week the charity launched its campaign to highlight the huge challenges facing many older people amid the cost-of-living crisis.
The charity said the winter was ‘one of the most difficult winters many older people will have ever experienced as they try to make their fixed incomes stretch to cover essentials at a time when prices are soaring’.
Research from the charity found that 60 per cent of over-60s it surveyed were worried about paying their energy bills.
Meanwhile, 45 per cent were worried about affording other essentials, such as food.
Around half (49 per cent) of those over-60 who took part in the survey were worried about the detrimental impact soaring energy bills would have on their health.
READ MORE: Cost of living crisis is fuelling ‘second major health emergency’ in three years after Covid pandemic pushes desperate families to the brink, UK health chiefs warn
Caroline Abrahams, the charity’s director, said: ‘There are a lot of older people who are worried sick at the moment, particularly about how they can keep their heads above water when every time they go to the supermarket they see that prices have risen again.
‘From conversations with older people we know that some live in total dread of their next fuel bill, and are at their wits end as they try to stay ahead of energy costs like nothing we’ve ever seen before.
‘This is an exceptionally challenging winter, especially if you are an older person without a lot of money to go round at the best of times.
‘Our new campaign points out that life can seem ok on the surface, but underneath it an older person may be finding their situation incredibly stressful, because of the horrible uncertainty about prices and the worry they may be unable to make ends meet, with no obvious way out.’
She continued: ‘At Age UK we are here for them, we stand with them, and we will help them find the best solution for whatever is troubling them, and support them with the next steps
‘We totally understand why so many are so worried, but we want them to know that whatever they are facing there is reason for hope, we are here to help, and they are not alone.’
Age UK launched its campaign to raise awareness of how it offers practical solutions and, just as importantly, a sense of reassurance for all those who are buckling under the strain of this unprecedented cost-of-living crisis’.
Actor and Age UK support Ricky Tomlinson said: ‘With prices across the board sky-rocketing, it’s no wonder that so many are feeling the pressure and worried about how they will cope.
‘The new campaign from Age UK uses real stories from their Advice Line to highlight some of these issues in a bid to shine spotlight on the challenges that so many older people are trying deal with and the worries they are facing.
‘I firmly believe that no one should be facing any of life’s challenges alone, and that every older person should be able to access the advice and support they need.’
Services such as its Age UK Advice Line stand with older people in difficulty and prove exert advice with kindness and sensitivity.
It also offers a 24-hour service The Silver Line Helpline for older people who need someone to to talk and a Telephone Friendship Service.
It comes after health chiefs warned the cost-of-living crisis’s detrimental impact is fuelling a ‘second health emergency’ in three years after the Covid-19 pandemic pushed desperate families to the brink.
Local health chiefs have urged the Government to provide long-term funding increases to public health services
The constant increase of essential food and energy is having a significant impact on health, particularly on communities with existing higher levels of deprivation, the Local Government Association (LGA) and the Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH) said.
But as the nation grapples with an out-of-hand cost of living crisis, those who were ‘just about managing’ now also need support, according to the organisations’ annual public health report.
It raises concerns that current health inequalities could be further exacerbated despite the ‘best efforts’ of councils and their directors of public health, who had provided support such as dedicated warm hubs and access to affordable food.
The report said: ‘The mood of this year’s annual report is significantly different. Public health teams remain positive because this is fundamental to their work, but this is often based in hope rather than optimism.
‘Cost of living pressures are the second major health-related emergency in three years.
‘Cost of living pressures has the greatest impact on people who are least equipped to deal with financial challenges but also extends to a far larger population who would normally be able to manage without support.’
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