Levels of state pensions have fallen, although by less than for other groups, and this group is less well-off than before. Nonetheless, greater private pensions mean that pensioners comprise a steady rather than declining level of the poor. There are poor paid-employment prospects and older people are increasingly active in unpaid or informal sector work, including in the voluntary and charitable sectors. Older people working in these sectors provide increasingly important support services for vulnerable groups that were previously provided by the state.