Our Impact in 2025

Age Scotland is Scotland's national charity for older people, working to improve financial security, tackle loneliness and challenge ageism. In 2025, the charity's helpline handled 32,150 calls and identified £2.6m in unclaimed social security for clients. Over 130,000 information guides were distributed, 80 workshops delivered to 713 attendees, and £401,167 in grants awarded to community groups. The charity launched its new five-year strategy 'Action for Change in Older Age' and produced 35 policy consultation responses.

Report snapshot
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📋About

National charity for older people in Scotland providing a free helpline, information and advice publications, energy and social security workshops, By Your Side community support, friendship services, dementia grants and training, community development grants, veterans support, loneliness campaigning, and parliamentary influencing

📊Key Metrics

£2,643,271 in unclaimed social security identified for older people through the national helpline, with an average financial gain of £5,140 per successful check Key Metric 1
32,150 calls handled by the free national helpline; 270 people supported by the By Your Side service completing 444 application forms Key Metric 2
More than 130,000 information and advice guides distributed or downloaded; 250,000 views of online information pages across 73 free guides Key Metric 3

Key Outcomes

  • £401,167 awarded through grants programmes including £349,393 through the Scottish Government-supported Encouraging and Supporting Grassroots Activity fund, reaching 48 dementia projects and groups across Scotland
  • 35 policy consultation responses produced; evidence given at 9 Scottish Parliament committee inquiries on topics including pensioner poverty, housing and cybercrime; Older People's Champion network grown to 23 councils
  • New 'Action for Change in Older Age' strategy launched in October 2025 targeting financial security, loneliness, ageism and organisational resilience; goal to deliver services to 250,000 people across Scotland by end of strategy

📍Geography

Scotland

2026 Enhanced

Impact — Winter 2026

Total income £18,180,000 and total expenditure £18,560,000 (year ended 31 December 2024, charity no. 1084958 England/Wales and SC039654 Scotland); in 2024 spent £3.8m on charitable activities including £1,079,000 on research, £1,366,000 on EB Community Support, £943,000 on public education, £270,000 on EB healthcare and £185,000 on respite breaks
Key Metric 1
700+ members supported through in-person visits and support calls in 2025; 697 support grants allocated in 2025 for essential items including specialist clothing, cooling fans and sheepskin liners; 2 new holiday homes purchased in 2025 with over 700 guests enjoying holiday homes; £34,000 raised through 2025 winter 'The Longest Night' appeal
Key Metric 2
Largest global investment in EB research to date: multi-million-pound drug repurposing trial provisionally agreed with LifeArc partner at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London; EB Priorities Setting Partnership study completed mapping global research priorities for all four main EB forms
Key Metric 3
£34,000 raised in 2025 winter appeal supporting families like Darcie's with specialist items, emotional support and research; 697 support grants delivered in 2025; first Members Connect event in Northern Ireland; EB Priorities Setting Partnership study completed providing global research roadmap
2025 Enhanced

Impact Report 2025

22,507 households helped through RBL casework and specialist support services across 66 countries
Key Metric 1
22,600 grants given to those in need, totalling £11.8 million
Key Metric 2
733 beneficiaries represented at tribunals, resulting in £24.5 million in War Pensions awards
Key Metric 3
1,548 new families living with dementia supported by RBL Admiral Nurses service
2025 Enhanced

Our Impact 2024-25

3,600 blind veterans received support across the UK; 447 new blind veterans started receiving support in 2024/25
Key Metric 1
1,598 referrals to rehabilitation services completed; 313 veterans received assistive technology training
Key Metric 2
997 volunteers donated 26,824 hours of support; befriending service awarded Quality in Befriending Excellence — one of only 11 organisations in the UK to achieve this
Key Metric 3
1,831 National Creative Wellbeing Project packs issued to help veterans reconnect with creativity and independence