Dr Omar Khan's presentation presented at the Ageing and Ethnicity conference run by Age UK and Runnymede. The conference took place on the 13th December 2012 at the Montague on the Gardens Hotel, London.

1. Ageing and Ethnicity:
Summary of Runnymede Research
Omar Khan
Head of Policy Research
Runnymede
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2. About Runnymede
The Runnymede Trust is an independent race
equality think tank. We generate intelligence for a
multi-ethnic Britain through:
 High quality research and analysis
 Engaging communities and network building
 Policy engagement
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3. Ageing, Ethnicity and Financial
Inclusion
3 Year Programme
5 Research reports (4 on your memory stick; 5th in Jan 2013).
2 Films (of deliberative assemblies in London & Birmingham)

4. Future Ageing and Diversity:
Background and consequences
Background 1 BME population of all ages increasing; Older BME pop
increasing. Presently mainly overseas-born.
Background 2 Lower rates of employment and wages lead to greater
risk of poverty
Consequence 1 Future needs likely to be very different.
Consequence 2 Policymakers, health and social care services and LAs
need to plan now.

5. BME pop of all ages is increasing
35 25
30%
30
20
BME pop (millions)
25 20.7
BME pop as %
20 15
15 10
9%
10
5
5 4.5
0 0
2001 2016 2026 2051
% Million
• The Future Ageing of England and Wales

6. Older BME pop is increasing
3,000
2,700
2,500
Older BME pop (thousands)
2,000 1,940
1,500
1,000
230
500
130
0
2001 2011 2021 2031 2041 2051
65+ 70+
• 12 and 14 times increase

7. BME people and pensioner poverty
Risk of pensioner poverty by ethnicity, 2007-8
60
50
Risk of pensioner poverty (%)
40
30
20
10
0
White Pakistani & Black Caribbean Indian Chinese or other All
Bangladeshi
• All (18%), Black Caribbean (30%), Pakistani & Bangladeshi (49%)

8. Why are BME people poor when older?
• Less likely to have pensions…
White Ethnic
minorities
% with private pension (in employment) 53 39
All Ethnic
minorities
(2005-6)
•% building entitlement to S2P other assets –
Less able to compensate with 75 65
• Savings
• Home ownership
% with no savings
Black or Black British 63
Asian or Asian British 60 (2005)
All 33

9. Low income and ethnicity
Income poverty rate by ethnicity, 2002-5
White British
White Other
Indian
Black Caribbean
Black African
Pakistani
Bangladeshi
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Income poverty rate (%)
• Bangladeshi (65%), Pakistani (55%), White British (20%)
• Reflects unemployment but also poor quality work

10. Retiring Overseas – Considerations
•Income and savings
•Family and friends
•Healthcare costs – and quality
•Tax and benefits arrangements (e.g.
•Health (and climate!)
•The Costs of ‘Returning Home’
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11. Retiring Overseas – Pensions Uprating
and other recommendations
•No uprating in Africa, most of Asia and most of Caribbean,
or Canada, Australia, South Africa
•Exceptions are Jamaica, Turkey, Philippines, Barbados
•Loss of pension income estimated at £24,000 over 20
years
•Better information
•Healthcare arrangement and access to NHS
•To Stay or Not to Stay
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12. Retiring in the UK: Rural and Care Concerns
•UK born will not ‘return’ home
•BME tend to live in urban areas; older people retire to country
•Policymakers and local officials must plan for future
•This includes catering to needs of ethnic minorities, e.g.
community centres
•Care homes should better cater for BME needs. Culturally
competent care, including staff training
•A Sense of Place
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13. Rural Distribution in 2001, and 2051
Proportion living in rural UK in 2001 and 2051, by ethnicity
40
35
30
25
2001
20
2051
15
10
5
0
White Asian Black Chinese/Other
Rural Distribution in 2001, and 2051 13
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14. BME Care Home Population, 2011-2051

15. Care Home Residents: Indian older people

16. Grandparenting
• Report due in January 2013
• Policymakers need to give greater attention to importance
of informal care
• BME grandparents make large contribution. Government
could consider reforming leave system
• Govt should tackle cultural barriers to improve uptake of
formal childcare
• Govt needs to do more to encourage savings
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17. Ethnicity and Ageing: diverse but uncertain future
• Increasing growth and diversity of BME older population
• But still evidence of greater poverty
• BME people live in urban areas, older people retire in rural or seaside
areas. As the population increases and diversifies, will more BME
older people move out of cities?
• Almost all older BME people today were born abroad, an increasing
number will be British-born in future, with different decision-making.
• For policymakers, local authorities and indeed national agencies, the
increased diversity and distribution of the future older population
needs to be planned for today.

18. Questions…?
To discuss our research and work, please contact me
at:
 omar@runnymedetrust.org
 020 7377 9222
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