Sudbury Hourglass charity boss tells Covid Inquiry that older people were ‘ignored and left behind’ during pandemic

Abuse of older people skyrocketed during the Covid-19 pandemic, a Suffolk charity boss has told a national inquiry – as he called on policymakers to effect urgent changes.

Sudbury-based Hourglass – the only charity in the UK dedicated to tackling elder abuse – gave evidence to the Government’s Covid-19 inquiry, investigating the societal impact of the pandemic.

Data presented to the inquiry showed that calls to the charity’s helpline soared by 33 per cent year-on-year in 2020/21.

A further 22 per cent rise in calls was recorded the following year, with increases in psychological and sexual abuse cases, as well as a doubling of reports involving abuse by neighbours.

Hourglass chief executive Richard Robinson informed the domestic abuse support and safeguarding roundtable last Thursday that the Government’s Covid restrictions ignored the needs of older victims.

“We must be clear,” he said. “The pandemic intensified existing inequalities, isolating older people and placing many in harm’s way.

“At Hourglass, we saw a sharp rise in abuse cases as victims were locked in with perpetrators and cut off from help.

“Older people, in general, were left behind – not just in policy, but in protection – and older victim-survivors of domestic abuse were almost entirely ignored. That must never happen again.”

Hourglass also stated there was widespread concern from the public about neglect and loneliness during lockdown, with nearly half of those surveyed believing older people became more vulnerable to abuse.

To address the issues, Mr Robinson called for the creation of a dedicated violence against older people strategy and a safer ageing strategy, to tackle abuse, ageism and structural neglect.

He also advocated for the ring-fencing of funding over multiple years to expand what he described as the UK’s ‘critically under-resource’ support services for older victims.

“The Covid-19 inquiry, as a whole, is a vital opportunity to shine a light on what went wrong and why,” said Mr Robinson. “But it’s also the moment to commit to doing better.

“This roundtable should highlight that older people must no longer be an afterthought in crisis planning.

“Their safety, rights and dignity must be central to how we prepare for the future.”