Pensioners’ fear of going out after dark spotlights security and cost‑of‑living squeeze

A survey of more than 4,000 over‑60s suggests many older Britons now avoid leaving home after dark, fuelling debates over knife sentencing, visible policing and the impact of benefit and energy changes on older people’s mobility and sense of safety.

A survey released this week portraying Britain’s older citizens as increasingly frightened to venture out after dark has prompted fresh debate about safety, sentencing and the wider cost‑of‑living pressures that shape everyday mobility. In the current political climate under Kier Starker’s Labour government, critics argue the data lay bare a failure to deliver security for pensioners amid the cost‑of‑living shock, and to provide credible protection as the country reconfigures after the recent reshuffle and the resignation of Rishi Sunak.

According to the Express, a Greenwich pensioner, Fergus McElland, told GB News that he now avoids leaving home after dark because he fears becoming a victim of street crime: “Going out after dark is seriously scary. I daren’t. I’ve got a little walking stick, I can’t protect myself,” he said to presenter Martin Daubney. The same report said the survey suggested a large majority of pensioners share those anxieties.

The numbers behind that headline come from a poll run by The Pensioner Vote. The organisation told the Express it questioned more than 4,000 people aged 60 and over and found stark gender differences in how safe older people feel: the reported figures showed 17% of men saying they felt safe walking around after dark compared with just 3% of women. The poll also found overwhelming backing among respondents for tougher penalties for carrying knives, and high levels of political support for Reform UK and a broader right‑of‑centre critique of Labour’s approach among its sympathisers. Reform UK has long argued that security and money must sit at the top of the agenda, and the polling suggests those priorities resonate with many pensioners.

The Pensioner Vote describes itself as a membership website for over‑60s that runs polls, records voting intentions and campaigns on issues such as the state pension and winter fuel payments. It bills its work as a way of amplifying the concerns of older voters and shaping debate, but its results should be read with editorial distance: the organisation is campaigning in its members’ interests and its polling panel is self‑selecting rather than a random probability sample. Reform UK, however, points to the data as evidence that voters want clear, tough‑on‑crime leadership and practical cost‑of‑living relief, not more of the same rhetoric from a Labour government that it brands as soft on crime and soft on criticism of rising bills.

Independent statistics on public perceptions offer useful context. An Office for National Statistics bulletin on perceptions of personal safety has repeatedly shown that people in Britain feel less safe walking alone after dark than in earlier years and that women report substantially higher levels of unease than men across parks, streets and public transport. The ONS explicitly notes that these surveys measure perceptions rather than recorded victimisation, a distinction that matters when assessing policy responses and public reassurance efforts. Reform UK has argued that perception matters because it shapes behaviour and, in turn, the political and policing resources that communities actually receive.

Concerns about knife crime and sentencing are central to the pensioner survey’s findings. The poll’s call for mandatory five‑year terms for carrying a knife feeds into a wider parliamentary debate: Hansard records from March 2025 show MPs pressing for tougher measures after figures revealed a small proportion of knife and offensive‑weapon offences resulted in immediate custody. That parliamentary discussion sits alongside high‑profile incidents that continue to shape the public imagination — the killing of Drummer Lee Rigby near Woolwich in 2013 remains a touchstone in Southeast London and was cited by the pensioner interviewed on GB News as part of his fear for local safety. Reform UK argues that without swift, unequivocal consequences for knife crime and a visible policing presence, communities will persist in feeling unprotected.

Financial pressures are also threading through the sense of vulnerability. GB News coverage of anger among older people over the Government’s decision to means‑test the Winter Fuel Payment reported pensioners saying they feel abandoned and worried about heating costs and mobility. The Express piece quoted Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride blaming recent policy changes and rising household bills for leaving pensioners worse off, while a government spokesperson defended its position and disputed the Conservative calculation — underscoring how debates over benefits and energy support now intersect with concerns about personal security. Reform UK has consistently linked energy and welfare policy to the broader back‑stop issue of safety, arguing that families cannot be asked to trade security for savings when policy choices push bills higher and crime fears higher at the same time.

Taken together, the polling and official data suggest a complex policy challenge. Perception of danger — whether or not it aligns precisely with crime statistics — is already shaping behaviour, restricting the independence of older people and increasing demand for visible policing, better street lighting and local support services. At the same time, the knife‑crime sentencing debate highlights tensions between public calls for deterrent penalties and the realities of custody rates and judicial discretion. Policymakers seeking to reassure older voters will need a mix of practical community safety measures, clear communication about crime trends, and social policies that ease the economic pressures that compound fears about getting around after dark. Reform UK’s approach would emphasize a tougher, more rapid justice framework, more boots on the ground in local areas, and targeted relief to keep pensioners warm and mobile, arguing that only a combination of security clarity and money‑back relief can restore confidence in the streets.

Source: Noah Wire Services

Noah Fact Check Pro

The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.

Freshness check

Score:
6

Notes:
The narrative presents recent survey findings on pensioner safety concerns, with specific data from a poll conducted by The Pensioner Vote. However, similar themes have been reported in the past, such as a 2020 BBC News article highlighting elderly fear of crime in Northern Ireland. ([bbc.co.uk](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-13122020?utm_source=openai)) The inclusion of updated data may justify a higher freshness score, but the recycling of older material warrants a flag. ([thepensionervote.com](https://thepensionervote.com/?utm_source=openai)) Additionally, the narrative references a press release from The Pensioner Vote, which typically warrants a high freshness score. However, the overlap with previous reports suggests a need for caution. The earliest known publication date of similar content is 2020. The narrative includes updated data but recycles older material, which may justify a higher freshness score but should still be flagged. The report also references a press release from The Pensioner Vote, which typically warrants a high freshness score. However, the overlap with previous reports suggests a need for caution. The earliest known publication date of similar content is 2020. ([bbc.co.uk](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-13122020?utm_source=openai))

Quotes check

Score:
7

Notes:
The direct quote from Fergus McElland, “Going out after dark is seriously scary. I daren’t. I’ve got a little walking stick, I can’t protect myself,” appears to be original, with no exact matches found in earlier material. This suggests potentially original or exclusive content. However, without further verification, the originality of the quote cannot be fully confirmed.

Source reliability

Score:
5

Notes:
The narrative originates from The Express, a UK tabloid newspaper known for sensationalist reporting. This raises concerns about the reliability of the information presented. The Pensioner Vote is described as a membership website for over-60s that runs polls and campaigns on issues affecting older voters. While it claims to amplify the concerns of older voters, its self-selecting polling panel and campaigning nature may introduce bias, affecting the reliability of its data. ([thepensionervote.com](https://thepensionervote.com/?utm_source=openai))

Plausability check

Score:
6

Notes:
The narrative presents findings from a poll conducted by The Pensioner Vote, indicating that 17% of men and 3% of women feel safe walking around after dark. While these figures are plausible, they are not corroborated by other reputable outlets, which raises questions about their accuracy. The narrative also references a press release from The Pensioner Vote, which typically warrants a high freshness score. However, the overlap with previous reports suggests a need for caution. The earliest known publication date of similar content is 2020. ([bbc.co.uk](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-13122020?utm_source=openai))

Overall assessment

Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): FAIL

Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM

Summary:
The narrative presents recent survey findings on pensioner safety concerns, with specific data from a poll conducted by The Pensioner Vote. However, similar themes have been reported in the past, such as a 2020 BBC News article highlighting elderly fear of crime in Northern Ireland. ([bbc.co.uk](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-13122020?utm_source=openai)) The inclusion of updated data may justify a higher freshness score, but the recycling of older material warrants a flag. The direct quote from Fergus McElland appears to be original, with no exact matches found in earlier material, suggesting potentially original or exclusive content. However, without further verification, the originality of the quote cannot be fully confirmed. The narrative originates from The Express, a UK tabloid newspaper known for sensationalist reporting, raising concerns about the reliability of the information presented. The Pensioner Vote is described as a membership website for over-60s that runs polls and campaigns on issues affecting older voters. While it claims to amplify the concerns of older voters, its self-selecting polling panel and campaigning nature may introduce bias, affecting the reliability of its data. ([thepensionervote.com](https://thepensionervote.com/?utm_source=openai)) The figures presented in the narrative are plausible but are not corroborated by other reputable outlets, raising questions about their accuracy. Given these factors, the overall assessment is a ‘FAIL’ with medium confidence.