Age Action has expressed serious concern about the impact which today’s Budget measures will have on the poorest of older people.

“To cut the fuel allowance by more than 20% is going to create huge hardship among the most vulnerable of older people,” Age Action spokesman Eamon Timmins said. The Government announced today that the means-tested payment – which only went to those on lower incomes – would be paid over 26 weeks, compared to 32 weeks last year.

The announcement is all the harder considering the fact that the free gas and electricity units received by older people had been cut by 20% in September, the national charity for older people noted. The Government has already flagged that it will increase VAT by 2% tomorrow, while the Carbon Tax is also expected to be increased, adding further to the cost of fuel.

“The bottom line is that for older people – some of whom had to choose between food and fuel last winter – the coming months are going to be very tough,” Mr Timmins said.

Fuel poverty continues to be a major problem for vulnerable older people. Research conducted by DIT and the Institute of Public Health in Ireland, funded by CARDI (due to be published in the coming fortnight) found that Ireland had an excess winter death rate of 1,281 during the winter of 2006/7. Of these, almost all (1,216) were aged over-65. They died of cardiovascular and respiratory illness – heart attack, stroke and pneumonia. The people Age Action is most concerned about are those who live alone, on low incomes, in poorly insulated homes and with a health or disability which restricts their mobility.

Age Action urged the Government to ensure that services for older people did not bear the brunt of the €543 million of cuts to the Department of Health’s budget announced yesterday. In particular, community based services for older people, such as home help and home care services, must be protected.

Poorer older people will also be harder hit by the new €100 household charge as the Government has no plans for a waiver scheme for those on low incomes. Sick pensioners who do not have a medical card will be affected by the increase in the income threshold for the Drug Payment Scheme from €120 to €132 per month.

The older people’s charity welcomed the fact that the State Pension was not cut, considering its importance in keeping older people above the poverty line. Likewise, the decision not to introduce further cuts to existing public service pensioners will provide peace of mind for retired public service pensioners.

The €15m allocated to allow access to free GP care for those on the long term illness scheme was also welcomed by Age Action.

Source: Age Action