Alliance says no justification for further cutting State Pension and income supports in December’s Budget

Research shows that any change to State Pension or other supports will have significant impact on older people’s lives

The Older & Bolder alliance has today expressed concern that the rising costs revealed in today’s inflation figures are making life difficult for older people.  In this context, Older & Bolder’s Project Director, Patricia Conboy, says there is no justification for further cuts to older people’s incomes in December’s Budget. 

Older & Bolder is an alliance of eight non-governmental organisations in the ageing sector: Active Retirement Ireland, Age & Opportunity, Alzheimer Society of Ireland, Carers Association, Irish Hospice Foundation, Irish Senior Citizens Parliament, Older Women’s Network and the Senior Help Line.

“The figures released by the Central Statistics Office reveal that the overall increase in prices over the last year was 0.5%.  However, the figures show that there were more significant price rises in areas that really matter to older people. 

For example Dwelling insurance and Health insurance rose by 12.5% and 9% in the last 12 months respectively. Increases in Telephone & Communications (3.1%), Petrol (11.9%) and Diesel (17%) challenge older people’s ability to remain independent and to continue to contribute to their families and communities.   Another recent cost increase, which will be particularly significant for older people given the health status of many in that cohort, is the recent introduction of a 50c charge on each item of prescribed drugs bought,” Patricia Conboy said. 

Ms Conboy went on to explain that the combined effect of these price increases and the 2% cut to the State Pension, through the elimination of the Christmas Bonus, is that older people – who were already very stretched from a financial point of view – are now not in a position to take any more cuts to their pensions and income supports.  In this context, Patricia Conboy referred to research carried out last year, Feeling the Pinch, which showed the real effects the recession is having on older people’s quality of life. 

“Feeling the Pinch shows that older people are getting by on fixed pension incomes through a combination of tight budgeting, individual coping strategies and a stoic determination to make do. Coping mechanisms include: heating and living in one room in the house; shopping for discounted and cheaper food and fuel products; avoiding purchase of new clothes and furnishings; and minimising use of their cars. 

“Many pensioners are managing on a week to week basis.  Some are tenaciously holding onto ‘big ticket items’ such as private health insurance, car ownership, help with home and garden maintenance, but they are stretched to the limit to do this and worried that they will not be able to sustain the costs in the future.  The older people interviewed in the research were also very concerned about the difficulties they would face if they needed nursing home care or expensive medical treatment in the future.

“The possibility of cutbacks in services that now make a tangible difference to their quality of life of was also a real worry for research participants.  These services provide help with transport, carer support, social contact and home help.”

Referring to the Minister for Finance, Brian Lenihan’s comments last Monday that Ireland’s pension bills are ‘on the table’ in December’s Budget, Patricia Conboy said that it is vital that people act now to send a strong message to decision makers about the importance of defending the State Pension.

“Older & Bolder’s campaign against cuts is being heard by the Government and we are advising older people to act now to protect their pensions by signing our petition at www.olderandbolder.ie, getting their friends and relatives to sign the petition and taking part in our forthcoming lobby of Oireachtas members,” Patricia Conboy concluded.

Older & Bolder’s members are Active Retirement Ireland, Age & Opportunity, Alzheimer Society of Ireland, Carers Association, Irish Hospice Foundation, Irish Senior Citizens Parliament and the Senior Help Line.

Source: www.olderandbolder.ie