UK 21st Century

• 2011 - 16% population over 65.
• population pyramid shows notable  bulge at top (due to "baby boomers" after WW2)                   
• causes: improved healthcare, better diets, improved lifestyles (exercise/less smoking) and longer ife exlpectancy, lower birth rate, focus on proffesional life.

  challenges                                                               opportinuties

- cost of healthcare incerase, pressure on        + elderly contribute to economy work part time/from    NHS and care providers.                                    home and paying taxes                                           - Elderly require more support if to remain       + older often involved in volentary work/supporting     in own houses                                                    family members. ( child care )                                 - increasingly, middle aged children have        + some elderly have considerable spending power       to support parents and own family                    seek leisure pursuits in retirement (cars, holiday    - infrastructure (public transport, roads                homes) can boost economy                                      pavements) needs modifications to cater        + buisnesses provide services for elderly (such as      for elderly)                                                           travel and medical services) can benefit.

• pensioner bonds - issued in 2015,encourage elderly to save money at improved rate of interest
• pensioners recieve financial support (reduced transport costs, heating allowances/winter fuel payments, may be means tested in future, with only poorest eligible for it.
• pension age increased, people have to work for longer before recieving state pension, ( from 2018, both men and women must be 66 before recieving, from 2026 and 2028, will rise to 67)
• pro-natal policies, such as improved child care provision, encourage to have more children, prevent UK reaching stage 5 of DTM.
• allowing the immigration of young families to help boost UK's birth rate 
• population pyramid - Graph showing population structure, including breakdown of age and sex within a population 
• narrow base =  low birth rate 
• straight sides = low death rate 
• high height = long life expectancy 

• population has grownby 16 per cent compared with 8 percent for the whole of England. •There has been an increase in the number of young people and families. This is down to the influx of European migrants from the A8 (eg poland) countries, who started to arrive after 2004 to find work in the agricultural and food processing sectors. •This counterbalanced the ageing which would have taken place without their arrival. •Ethnic diversity has changed substantially since 2001. •By 2011, one in ten people living in Boston came from Eastern European countries. how has population change affected Boston •Hourly wage of £9.13 below UK average of £13.33. •Local rents in Boston are high due to demand, local families can not afford prices.  •Sudden demand for services e.g. maternity and school places. Schools receive £1000.00 per child to help provide EAL support.   Spending in local economy increased