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christmas

'Half of over-50s away from family at Xmas'

More than half of the over-50s will be apart from their children and other relatives this Christmas because they live too far away, research has showed.

The high cost of travelling was the reason given by 16% of the 2,000 people questioned by YouGov for not visiting loved ones.

Being separated from relatives over Christmas left 53% of those aged 50-plus feeling "sad, frustrated and lonely", the survey found.

One fifth of the respondents in this age group turned instead to friends living nearby over the festive period.

Around a third (33%) of all interviewees said they felt "helpless" to stop the lack of contact because of external pressures on time and money.

Microsoft commissioned the survey as part of a pilot project to encourage the over-50s to use webcam technology.

A group of 60 participants used the video chat service dubbed "grancam" to contact relatives over a one-month period.

The project is carried out in partnership with the charity Age Concern.

Microsoft UK managing director Alistair Baker said: "While it's not a substitute for human contact, technology is a powerful tool that can help people develop relationships and stay connected during the periods they don't see their families."

:: The YouGov survey of 2,000 adults across the UK, of whom 508 were aged 50 or over, was carried out last month.