THE cost-of-living crisis is having an enormous toll on many older people’s mental health and wellbeing, new research reveals, with 9.6 million over-60s worried about heating their homes.

Age UK’s research, carried out in January and published today, found that 60 per cent of those over the age of 60 were worried about paying their energy bills.

And 7.2 million, equal to 45 per cent, were worried about affording other essentials such as food.