We are delighted to present this short booklet to you as the fruit of collaboration between the Academy of Social Sciences, together with the British Society of Gerontology and Age UK, which are both active in raising the pro? le of ageing and its social consequences. We are grateful to the ESRC for support and the ESRC New Dynamics of Ageing programme for input.

This is the second booklet in the Academy’s Making the Case for the Social Sciences series, which offers a snapshot of social science research projects which have had an impact on public policy or social behaviour and so helped society to address the challenges being faced with some of the opportunities now available.