Material factors

• Universal and means-tested allowances 'from the cradle to the grave', such as maternity benefits, family allowances, sickness benefits, pensions and winter fuel allowances, provide a safety net so that few have insufficient means for adequate food and warm shelter. In previous centuries elderly people would have had to work until they died, unless they were supported by kin or charities.
• The Welfare State has, since the late 1940s, provided free healthcare and social services, often supporting the elderly who may be isolated in their own homes.