Pensioner Poverty | Living on your own | 1970s Britain | 1970s Worthing | Social Care | V Eye | 1970

This is a slightly shortened version of the original report.
Being a pensioner in 1970s Britain. Thames televisions 'TV Eye' investigates the level of social care that is available to Britain's ageing population.
First shown: 15/10/1970
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Quote: VT3662

[@Goldi3loxrox]

What a dear sweet lady. rip Our elderly deserve to be looked after.

[@thejobinterviewcoach9901]

Incredibly moving and highlighting what a complete mess adult social care has been in for years

[@StewartP45]

For those interested Miss Stedman appears to have passed away in Sept 1971 in Worthing, almost a year after the screening of the report and rather disproving the doctor's gloomy- albeit realistic- opinion about the onset of winter and its potential impact on the 86 year old.

[@cryingonion2]

She was actually doing really well, considering she was coping mainly on her own!

[@jamesbomd3503]

At least you took the time to find out

[@acommentator4452]

Yes. A fine old lady. But how sad to have had to spend the last year of her life in such difficulty and real risk. Let us all try to help each other.

[@AClem-n7w]

Oh dear poor miss Stedman may her soul be in peace ❤

[@GordonWaddell]

Mad that you don't get informative stuff on telly like this anymore, that's long gone.

[@David-uf8ex]

Television today caters for the brain dead

[@darrensmith6999]

Not much changed in Britain in 50 years! Absolute disgrace!

[@alexanderjames6328]

We'd rather look after folks from outside of the UK than our own, grim.

[@darrensmith6999]

@@alexanderjames6328 Yup that about sums it up. We need to put up signs on the coast " Piss off we are broke!"

[@TheAnonyy]

@@alexanderjames6328 vote for the usual two parties... labour/conservatives that is what you get.

[@angelabrooke5059]

Brexit took us back. We were more affluent in the EU

[@joeyree22]

Yes and no; life expectancy has changed remarkably! Here they say life expectancy for a woman is 75! I’m 43 and seriously saving for retirement already. Financially I’m told I have to save like I’m going to live until 95!! Only 4 years more than my husband, but that’s 20 years longer! How am I meant to save for that!

[@EBOWARRIOR]

And even to this day the Government (All Of Them Who Have Been In Power) sees these elderly people as an annoyance.

[@camelia9802]

'Abide with me' is a lovely hymn.

[@Tony11806]

I was born in 1960 and I remember seeing people on those invalid cycles at 1.07 with the arm levers instead of pedals.

[@jamesbomd3503]

it would now be called a mobility scooter and it would be electric Poverty never ages like Tech

[@MrDastardly]

A wonderful report. All good people.

[@barneyrubble4536]

I lived in Worthing for over 25 years and moved away 3 years ago. I do miss it but it has changed so much for the worse in the last 5 years of living there the crime and drugs got terrible, such a shame. It used to be a lovely place to live.

[@SciMoTeAr]

Is UK 3rd world now?

[@tdoran616]

@@SciMoTeArit’s on the way to becoming third world

[@ravenhill_night_visitor_1968]

such a shame that mate, where did you move away to? where do you live now?

[@WillScarlet1991]

@@ravenhill_night_visitor_1968 Bradford.

[@robdubz1510]

Live in east sussex also drugs crime bad here now .

[@jasonayres]

(6:48) Poignant, really, considering the subject matter. "Abide with me, fast falls the eventide. The darkness deepens Lord, with me abide. When other helpers fail, and comforts flee. Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me."

[@Weeeeezzzyyyyy]

It’s really sad that even in the 70’s social care really was just as bad as what it is now.

[@princebuster93]

@ cute little doll, Those Tavistock change agents would like us to think that life has progressed but it hasn’t in any way at all, in fact We are degenerating, society is declining, very sad but God has promised a new heaven and new earth to all who place their trust in his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ for their Salvation ❤

[@johnsmith-rs2vk]

The ten pound pensioners ' Christmas Bonus is now worth 136 pounds !

[@ladedalounge]

I was honestly just thinking that and it brough me here....crazy poor childhood and I yearn for it....

[@acommentator4452]

​@@johnsmith-rs2vkbut no winter fuel allowance for the majority.

[@stephenholmes1036]

The way the poor in this country has been ignored by all politicians of all parties

[@supahfly_uk]

Nothing changes just the era.

[@hayleyanna2625]

Work all your life and follow all the so-called rules. Rubbish! You get but one life and once you are old, you are cast aside and if indeed you have to go into a care home, whatever savings you have are gone in a flash! The whole system is structured to serve the rich. It always was. "the good old days" is a myth.

[@Crusty_Camper]

I grew up in another Sussex seaside town and the general story is so typical. Retiring couples move to the seaside and one of them dies, leaving the other cut off from friends, family and all the services they connected with in the past. But things are even worse now because the health visitor would not have time to take her out.

[@nickjonez3410]

Fascinating seeing actual Victorian people in these programmes

[@clivefinlay3901]

I feel I could go into a darkened room close the door sit down and cry and cry and cry

[@megataurus7779]

Don't,keep fighting until your last dying breath my friend,crying is giving up,I know it's not easy ❤

[@acommentator4452]

Try to keep going my friend though I know what you mean. I am telling myself this. There are many uplifting and interesting videos to watch on KZbin. And no TV licence needed😅 That's a saving.

[@acommentator4452]

As long as you avoid the bbc.

[@rushy0157]

I wonder how old people were taken care of back when the old lady was a child?

[@SeanSmith-f3t]

Back then family was your social care network, failing that the workhouse.

[@skyworm8006]

It doesn't seem like she has children. That might be the issue. It will only get worse in the future, it's already much worse. We will all have to revert back to being family-oriented and relying on family over the state. People will have to have children and invest in the future more than they currently do. And before then young people will polarised against the old, as the state burdens them more and more, and they are outvoted. So family ties might not properly recover in the end anyway. A society that exists only for the elderly is not sustainable or healthy, for many reasons. Generally-speaking, it is a problem of long life expectancy, past birth booms, and unprecedented collapse of birthrates worldwide.

[@clarelear129]

they didn’t live long enough

[@MHAdvocateUK]

Every governments attitude towards the elderly leaves a lot to be desired.

[@mistofoles]

The health visitor was called Mrs "Dogood" ? :D

[@GrahamGroovyUK]

Glad to see Miss Stedmans home, 9 Park Crescent survived. So out of fashion by the 70s due to their upkeep and often demolished as being too big. Now split into apartments.

[@garybrockwell2031]

Remembering people like Maxwell stole pensions from the old of this time's 😵🤔 and nowadays there is no state pension for many, house's have been taken for homes for them to die in.... Government's have been killing old souls to save them money 😳🙏🇬🇧🤫 nowadays carers don't even speak English...... Time to fess up?? We're being replaced 🆘🇬🇧...... saying that love and help our old this Christmas 🤫😢🇬🇧💯 Let them know WE CARE🙏😇💕⚖️😍🇬🇧

[@marcusstewart3044]

Stats show that virtually all get the state pension. While things are far from wholly adequate, pensioners unquestionably are better off financially on the whole than in 70s (which also had rampant inflation). Today the breakdown of the family and increased longevity - and thus frailty - are greater problems than in 70s but I can't say things are generally worse for pensioners now than then and suspect they are better (inc financially).

[@WillScarlet1991]

@@marcusstewart3044 Interesting points.

[@lesleyscott938]

Do you know any pensioners then ? Because if you did you would know they are no better off now than they were in 1970. The cost of living is now so high that pensioners are dying from the cold, cannot afford food and are treated very poorly by the NHS ....​@marcusstewart3044

[@jamesbomd3503]

It occurred to me while watching this I wonder where she is now it proves just how much of an impact it had upon me that I could relate to it even through It's nearly 60 years ago

[@borderlord]

On the one hand Miss Steadnan shouldnt have been left on her own too much...but on the other hand doind things for herself provably kept her going! She was of sound mibd..no dementia,good memory!

[@mia56]

Had miss steadman had house to leave or money to leave the relatives would have soon been round more

[@borderlord]

@mia56 Yes,most probably.

[@kazirahman-bw7cn]

We all have to worry about this , as when we get old we would most likly be in similar situation as this old lady or even now i seen most of my elders living in poverty and died in poverty

[@another8125]

well theyre all at peace now

[@Worldwarone853]

God Bless her.❤

[@john07973]

Labour were in power 1966 to June 1970 this programme was October 1970 says it all

[@brendanfahy2846]

You are quite right @john07973 life has been perfect under a conservative government 😀👍

[@GordonWaddell]

Empire in decline. Britain was skint after the war, had to borrow money from the US, built crap everywhere, still didn't stave off decline, Thatcher and her mob came, gave us Capitalism - the rest is history. Today Labour are really no different from Tories, two cheeks of the same arse. Nothing Rose tinted about the past, just illusions of grandeur, which, for many, this wasn't the case, and that still is the case in the present day.

[@WillScarlet1991]

@@brendanfahy2846 Both Tories and Labour are cheeks of the same backside.

[@aranibiswas2124]

In India it is a new problem in mega cities now 😢😢😢

[@Toozelwoozle70]

No change then 50years on. How many of our elderly and vulnerable will suffer this winter under this Labour government taking away the winter fuel allowance shame on them

[@lesleyscott938]

Nothing changes does it ? Still the same in 2023

[@WillScarlet1991]

And in 2024+

[@gabriellaj.o.6180]

Nothing has changed.

[@angelabrooke5059]

Life expectancy has risen. It's Brexit that took us back to where we were pre EU

[@robertsmith-qb2ke]

Very powerful piece of reportage. Was the house hers to sell? And did she find a place eventually?

[@gordonwoods1087]

In many ways, it's the same in the U.S. And, so many politicians constantly call to cut or eliminate Social Security. I think they need to be reminded who is supposed to be working for whom.

[@syedadeelhussain2691]

Japan is another country where the old people are going through a lot of hardships. The ageing (greying) factor in advanced capitalist societies is causing genuine social and economic crises. Replacement rates in many advanced free-market capitalist economies have dropped and this creates a population imbalance.

[@DenisMclean-e9o]

Japanese 🇯🇵 pensioners are committing crimes to get into prison. Better cared for in there.

[@DenisMclean-e9o]

Terrible that nothing has changed in today’s pensioners lives.

[@mair3295]

I don't think anyone speaks like that anymore!

[@princessbea3955]

Nothing has changed. This country is a disgrace !

[@mid-walesrover681]

50 years ago there was more family support.

[@robertjarman4261]

Greetings from Holy Russia.l escaped here from uk and am now full citizen.

[@steadyeddie639]

A nuclear society.....

[@susandoig4192]

Poor old lady❤

[@ThomasBoyd-le9nv]

Nuclear family in England London Britain. Brilliant content. Support British pensioners. Awesome. That South East of England Thomas in 1970s. She English middle class pensioner Age 86. Would she vote Conservative yes Thomas.

[@civlyzed]

Short sentences. Are. Great.

[@mia56]

Once we finished working we are a nuisance and a burden to the government esp the one we have in 2024

[@Paul-g9y1t]

We live in the sw of the country in a so-called holiday resort, can only be described as hell on steroids.

[@Patrick3183]

Poor England

[@TheVideoGamesHistorian]

Why did she not rent out the rooms as there was a shortage of homes in the 70s that would have at least given her some company ,

[@jamesbomd3503]

They probably could have rented it out but it may have ended up with foreigners and ten to a room this is 1970 all these new flats were being built and the foreigners had a place to live Rooms for rent unless you wanted a place in Soho We're dying out in 1970 A 16 year old child with a newborn baby could get a one bedroom high rise flat.

[@clarelear129]

she was renting a room there, it wasn’t her ptoperty.

[@mistofoles]

@1:07 - Stirling Moss.

[@moretimeneeded56]

As a kid used to shout at fast cars who do you think you are - Stirling Moss? Or said sarcastically at slow ones

[@loc4725]

Fascinating. So back in the day those that fought in the various wars were put through all that, by the *same generation who now complains about how they* are treated! Also interesting how these folk moved to the coast, freeing up housing for younger families. These days they'd stay put, living alone in their 3-bed family home near economic centers whilst their kids & grandkids live in a 2-bed flat many miles from both work & school.

[@felipcirne]

Everyone is dead today.

[@mistofoles]

The doctor sounds like John LeMesuir !

[@FigaroHey]

This was socialized medicine in the 1970s. The only thing that has improved is the government's ability to delude itself that the NHS is the country's great pride instead of one of its greatest failures.

[@jakecavendish3470]

Dee do de de, dee do de de I don't have no time for no monkeybusiness

[@BarbaraPineda-v9p]

🇬🇧 🇬🇧 🇬🇧

[@JimJim-kh8rw]

😢

[@BarbaraPineda-v9p]

I knews any things abouts, the British, historians and I never... chatted too these bits, abouts the harsh realities, definition means, cast, systems... that's reasonable they's looked so up-set I can tell,

[@bertmurphy8096]

A well-fair state ???

[@deanstanley5799]

Wonder how long Ms streadman lived after this documentary?

[@StewartP45]

Posted in a new comment above for visibilty, but she appears to have lived for almost a year after the report with the death of Ada Florence Stedman being recorded in Sept 1971.

[@jamesbomd3503]

@@StewartP45 Ada a classic post war Name