CABS Public Seminar Series 2022-23: Fuel or food? Health and policy implications for older people in the UK

In a time of economic turmoil, the UK is facing a stark cost-of-living crisis where people may be forced to choose between heating their homes and eating regular, nutritious meals. Limited research has explored this intersection of food and fuel poverty (FFP). Older adults are particularly vulnerable to a potential “heat or eat” trade-off and to the health repercussions of FFP. Excess mortality is the starkest of FFP’s potential health repercussions, which impacts the UK more than other neighbouring colder climate countries.

In this session, Dr Aravinda Guntupalli (Senior Lecturer in Global Health, University of Aberdeen) and Sarah Champagne (PhD Researcher, University of Aberdeen) jointly explore these largely neglected phenomena that are markedly salient for older adults, drawing on their current research.