Inequalities in old age: the impact of the recession on older people in Ireland, North and South

This paper attempts to assess the consequences of the existing and unfolding inequalities in older age in Northern Ireland (NI) and the Republic of Ireland (RoI).

The research involved both quantitative and qualitative methods including focus groups and analysis of existing data on social exclusion and poverty in NI and RoI.

The analysis on publicly available data in the north and south of Ireland revealed few comparable measures on poverty and social exclusion. The study was, however, able to establish key pre‐ and intra‐recession differences between older people in both jurisdictions. The qualitative analysis (focus groups with older people, online surveys with financial advisors) detailed the similarities and differences in the impact of the recession in north and south.

This paper reports on the first systematic, comparative study into the impact of the recession on older people in NI and RoI. The paper also makes recommendations for improving data collection on measures which would allow policy makers and researchers to examine the current and future impact of the recession on the living standards and wellbeing of older people.