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
To license a clip from this video please e mail: [e-mail]
Quote: VT3662

[@darrensmith6999]

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

[@AstralWolf86]

The system is rigged.

[@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!"

[@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

[@thejobinterviewcoach9901]

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

[@Goldi3loxrox]

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

[@EBOWARRIOR]

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

[@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

[@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

[@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 ❤

[@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_the_cryptic_of_1968]

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

[@WillScarlet1991]

@@ravenhill_the_cryptic_of_1968 Bradford.

[@robdubz1510]

Live in east sussex also drugs crime bad here now .

[@cutelittledoll]

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....

[@nickjonez3410]

Fascinating seeing actual Victorian people in these programmes

[@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."

[@gabriellaj.o.6180]

Nothing has changed.

[@MrDastardly]

A wonderful report. All good people.

[@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.

[@rushy0157]

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

[@seansmith445]

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.

[@robertsmith-qb2ke]

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

[@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.

[@lesleyscott938]

Nothing changes does it ? Still the same in 2023

[@mistofoles]

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

[@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

[@another8125]

well theyre all at peace now

[@David-uf8ex]

Amazing how consecutive governments have never given a damn about the indigenous people of this land

[@masseyfergy68]

There was a man once who cared for his people a world war 1 hero and a water colour artist of Austrian decent i believe.....

[@aranibiswas2124]

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

[@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.

[@stephenholmes1036]

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

[@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.

[@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

[@supahfly_uk]

Nothing changes just the era.

[@user-zm8ov6hc7s]

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

[@user-wt8nk9xc8m]

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

[@steadyeddie639]

A nuclear society.....

[@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.

[@user-zm8ov6hc7s]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@felipcirne]

Everyone is dead today.

[@mistofoles]

The doctor sounds like John LeMesuir !

[@jakecavendish3470]

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

[@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

[@user-yr3ze9hc7o]

🇬🇧 🇬🇧 🇬🇧

[@bertmurphy8096]

A well-fair state ???

[@JimJim-kh8rw]

😢

[@user-yr3ze9hc7o]

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,

[@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