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The Ready for Ageing Alliance - which is made up of eight leading charities - called on ministers to take action after a poll conducted by older people's housing and care provider
Anchor found that 77% did not think ministers were ready to cope with society's changing demographics. And 76% went on to say that a Cabinet member should take responsibility to ensure
that the Government is preparing for an ageing society. The survey, conducted on 2,200 adults across the UK, also found that 84% of people think that more needs to be done to educate people
about planning and paying for care as they get older The news comes as figures show that the number of elderly people over the age of 90 has rocketed over the last three decades. There has
been a five-fold increase in the number of centenarians over the last three decades, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). In 1981, there were just 2,420 people
aged 100 and over living in England and Wales, but by 2012 the figure shot up to 12,320, the ONS said. The figures also show that the number of pensioners aged over the age of 90 has almost
tripled in three decades since 1981. The Ready for Ageing Alliance - which is made up of Age UK, Alzheimer's Society, Anchor, Carers UK, the Centre for Policy on Ageing, Independent
Age, the International Longevity Centre UK and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation - called for the Government to set out plans to deal with the demographic change. Anchor's chief executive
Jane Ashcroft said: "We want to remind the Government that dealing effectively with demographic change won't just benefit the older people of today, but is crucial for a happier
old age for future generations. "We ask Government to prove to the public that they can future-proof policy. 137,000 people signed Anchor's petition for a Minister for Older
People. Government cannot bury its head in the sand on the issue." George McNamara, h ead of policy and public affairs at the Alzheimer's Society, added: " By failing to
prepare for the effect of an ageing population, we could be preparing to fail. While the Government needs to plan for the impact of an ageing society, the public also needs to give more
consideration to planning for their own old age. "We ignore the challenge of an ageing population at our peril. By 2021, over one million people in the UK will be living with dementia.
Families affected by the condition already struggle to access vital healthcare and support, with many incurring astronomical costs. "Both Government and society as a whole need to act
now to ensure older people can live with dignity and enjoy later life." A Government spokesman said: "We want to make the UK one of the best places to grow old in, and we have an
ambitious programme to achieve this. "We are making radical changes to our pension system so people can plan and save for a decent income in retirement. "We are reforming our
public services so that older people get excellent care and support when they need it and are enabled to live independently. It is vital to make the most of the skills and talents that
everyone has to offer."