Independent Age
| Founded | 1863 |
|---|---|
| Type | Registered charity |
| Registration no. | "Independent Age, registered charity no. 210729". Charity Commission for England and Wales. |
| Location | |
Region served | United Kingdom |
| Method | Grants, advocacy, advice services |
Key people | Joanna Elson CBE (CEO) |
| Website | www |
Independent Age is a British charity that supports and advises older people experiencing financial hardship. The organisation was originally formed in 1863 and is legally registered as the Royal United Kingdom Beneficent Association.[1]
History
Independent Age was founded in 1863 as the United Kingdom Beneficent Association (UKBA), a voluntary society created to provide an alternative to the Victorian workhouse system under the New Poor Law for members of the upper and middle classes experiencing financial hardship. The organisation offered small lifelong annuities to individuals living on under £25 per year, including those over the age of 40 unable to work due to disability, and women over 60 or men over 65.[2][3]
In 1911, the UKBA was incorporated under Royal Charter and renamed the Royal United Kingdom Beneficent Association (RUKBA).[4] The change enabled the charity to own property in its own name. In 1948, RUKBA opened a residential care home following the 1947 Nuffield Foundation report, Old People.[5]
The organisation rebranded as Independent Age in 2005[6] and merged with Counsel and Care[7] and the Universal Beneficent Society in 2011.[8]
The organisation's chief executive is Joanna Elson CBE, formerly chief executive of the Money Advice Trust. She is also a director at UK Finance and chair of the advisory board at the University of Birmingham's Centre on Household Assets and Savings Management.[9][10]
Activities
In 2024, Independent Age launched a £2.8 million grants programme aimed at advice-based organisations supporting older people in deprived areas across England, Scotland and Wales.[11]
In 2025, the charity launched its Frozen and Forgotten campaign, focusing on fuel poverty awareness following changes to the Winter Fuel Payment.[12]
See also
References
- ↑ "Charity overview: The Royal United Kingdom Beneficent Association". Charity Commission for England and Wales. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
- ↑ Scorer, C. G. (6 December 1969). "The United Kingdom Beneficent Association". British Medical Journal. 4 (5683): 623. doi:10.1136/bmj.4.5683.623-c. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
- ↑ "Posh Paupers". The Genealogist. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
- ↑ "The Royal United Kingdom Beneficent Association Governing document". Charity Commission for England and Wales. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
- ↑ "Old People (1947 report)". University of Oxford. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
- ↑ "RUKBA changes its role and its name". Hereford Times. 4 April 2005. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
- ↑ "Independent Age and Counsel and Care announce merger". Third Sector. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
- ↑ "Universal Beneficent Society". Charity Commission for England and Wales. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
- ↑ "Who's moving: Independent Age". Civil Society. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
- ↑ "Advisory Board". University of Birmingham. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
- ↑ "Independent Age launches £2.8m grants fund". Ethical Marketing News. 2 February 2024. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
- ↑ "Independent Age "Frozen and Forgotten" campaign". Campaign. Retrieved 15 April 2026.