Just over one in ten of eldery people living in the Derry City and Strabane District Council area are experiencing financial abuse, newly released figures show.
New research from the Commissioner for Older People for Northern Ireland, Eddie Lynch, reveals that 21% of older people in the North are likely to be experiencing some form of financial abuse.
However, when broken down, the report finds that within the Derry and Strabane Council area this figure sits at 11%.
Over 1,000 older people across Northern Ireland were surveyed in relation to financial abuse.
They were asked 29 direct questions in relation to their personal finances, money-management and decision-making in the last 12 months.
From the survey, which was carried out by Perceptive Insight, it is clear that some respondents have experienced a range of different types of financial abuse.
The survey sample was representative of Northern Ireland’s older population and indicates that over 75,000 older people are experiencing some form of financial abuse here.
Mr Lynch said he was “both shocked and saddened” that one in five older people in Northern Ireland were experiencing some form of financial abuse.
He added: “In my role as Commissioner for Older People I have seen the devastating impact that financial abuse can have on older people.
“21% of older people surveyed confirmed they had experienced issues indicating financial abuse, ranging from feeling pressured into buying something to family trying to prevent spending in order to maximise their inheritance.
“This figure is even more alarming when you consider that underreporting is common with financial abuse.
“Over the next four years of my term I am committed to further examining this issue. I will continue to work with experts on further data mapping in order to identify critical areas where action is needed.”
Photo shows Mr Lynch Eddie Lynch launching the 'Financial Abuse of Older People in Northern Ireland: The Unsettling Truth' with Justice Minister Claire Sugden
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