logo-500logo-500logo-500logo-500
  • Home
  • Our Work
    • Our Work
    • Campaigns for Change
    • Community Impact Network
    • Alone in Action
    • Press Releases
    • Publications & Resources
  • Get Involved
    • Get Involved
    • Volunteers
    • Fundraisers
    • Corporates
    • Partner With Us
    • Career Opportunities
    • Leave a Legacy
  • Make a Referral
    • Make a Referral
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Contact
  • Donate

ALONE releases Pre-Budget Submission amid calls to protect older people from “unsustainable” increases to cost of living

September 5, 2022

Some older people “frightened for the first time in their lives” at costs coming into winter

ALONE has launched its full Pre-Budget Submission and has called on Government to urgently take action for older people, saying that repeated increases in the cost of living are unsustainable and the situation is now becoming “critical” for many older people. Recent surges in the cost of energy and food, and particularly the increases from energy suppliers announced in recent days, are of particular concern and have prompted increasing numbers of older people to ask ALONE for support in these areas.

ALONE recently conducted an anonymous survey of the older people they work with, which shows evidence of older people struggling severely to get by. Responses from older people showed:

  • 92% of older people ALONE work with say they are most concerned about heating and energy bills, followed by food prices (67%) and household maintenance (eg broken appliances) (32%).
  • Nearly three quarters were ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ concerned about the cost of living
  • Nearly two thirds worry about struggling to pay the bills
  • When asked, ‘what do you think the Government should do in the upcoming Budget to help older people?’, the most popular response was to ‘reduce costs like energy’ (67%), followed by ‘increase payments to more vulnerable members of society’ (63%), with ‘reduce taxes like VAT and excise duty’ in fourth position.

Several people mentioned specifically that they were worried and fearful about their future as they got older, and concerned about what they would do if things got any worse. One respondent stated, “I fear that I won’t be able to heat my home and afford to eat come winter”, while another said they were frightened for the first time in my life at the costs”.

 

The situation is becoming unsustainable for many. ALONE has received reports of older people turning off their fridges and not using gas cookers anymore because the costs are too high. Older people have also reported cutting back on basics like meals with meat, and washing powder because they are too expensive. Already, older people are concerned they may not be able to afford to use their storage heaters this winter.

ALONE are calling on the Government to ensure the State Pension, the Living Alone Allowance, and the Fuel Allowance are each increased by a minimum of €20 per week and for further measures to be introduced across social protection, health, and housing to support older people throughout the winter and into 2023.

CEO of ALONE, Seán Moynihan, stated, “Older people’s difficulties have been steadily increasing in recent years, and now the situation has become critical. People aged 65 and older were the only group to see increases across all three poverty rates between 2020 and 2021. Now, some older people say they are fearful for the first time in their lives regarding the increase in costs. Older people have been promised better than this, and so far, that promise hasn’t been kept.”

He continued, “Some of the conversation in recent days has pitted younger people against older people. We must not let age become a battleground. We believe that everyone should have a decent standard of living, including older people. We must take into consideration that roughly 92,000 older people are living in or at risk of poverty in Ireland today – that is more than the population of counties Longford and Leitrim, combined. Older people living alone have the lowest median income of all households, and those in rural areas will not even meet the minimum essential standard of living on their income. No one should find this acceptable. The stereotype of all older people as being wealthy and secure is not reflective of the population today, nor will it be reflective in the years to come. The story is not as simple as ‘older people versus younger people’, the ‘haves’ versus the ‘have nots’, much as many would wish it were. At ALONE for example we still come across cases of older people who do not have indoor toilets in their homes.”

ALONE’s Budget 2023 submission recommendations include;

  • Increase the State Pension by at least €20 this year and next year, to meet commitments to benchmark the Pension

The Roadmap to Social Inclusion committed to introducing benchmarking of the State Pension by Budget 2021. Today, as we prepare for Budget 2023, it has still not been completed. If it had, older people would not be struggling so significantly today with the increases in the cost of living. This promise must be delivered upon.

  • Set the Fuel Allowance season to 35-weeks and increase by €20 per week to minimise the impact of energy inflation and repeated energy supplier increases.
  • Commit to benchmarking the Living Alone Allowance to one quarter of the State Pension, and increase by €20 per week, as older people living alone (and particularly those living in rural areas) are particularly vulnerable to poverty.
  • Update, fund and implement the National Positive Ageing Strategy, which has not been funded since it was introduced more than ten years ago.
  • Establish Terms of Reference for the Commission on Care as committed to in the Programme for Government, and which has seen substantial delays.
  • Resource the Home Support Scheme to meet increased demand in light of the upcoming Statutory Home Support Scheme.
  • Review reopening of day care centres nationwide as roughly 50 remain closed post-COVID.
  • Address loneliness among the general population, as committed to in the Programme for Government, and provide funding of €5 million, in light of increased loneliness post-COVID.
  • Fully implement and fund actions relating to the Joint Policy Statement, Housing Options for our Ageing Population, and reconvene the implementation group in light of a significant number of actions left incomplete.
  • Develop a long term plan for housing for older people, including those in the private rental sector.
  • Undertake a full review of the Local Authority Housing Delivery Action Plans, in the context of providing age-friendly social housing.
  • Deliver choice in housing for older people and funding mechanisms to provide Housing with Supports
  • Increase funding of Housing Adaptation Grants for older people to €84.5 million annually and commit to multi-annual increases

 

Moynihan concluded, “Repeated increases in the cost of fuel, food, and other expenses have become unmanageable for older people. Budget 2023 has the opportunity to be a turning point. This year, the Budget is the main source of hope for many older people ahead of what we have been told will be an extremely difficult winter. We urge Government to make the right decisions this year. Increases to supports in Budget 2023 are critical for older people, and all experiencing poverty and deprivation, in light of the ongoing cost of living crisis. ”

 

ALONE’s Pre-Budget submission is available here: ALONE Pre Budget Submission

About Us

  • About Us
  • Covid-19 Resources
  • Contact Us
  • News
  • Frequently Asked Questions

Campaigns

  • The Alliance of Age Sector NGO’s latest report calls for an Independent Commissioner for Ageing and Older People
    January 25, 2023
  • Christmas Tree delivery in Willie Bermingham Place as part of ongoing effort to Share the Warmth.
    December 12, 2022
  • ALONE asks government to prepare for an older population
    December 5, 2022

Publications & Resources

  • Resources for Older People
    December 9, 2020
  • Strategic Plan
    December 9, 2020
  • Financial Statements and Annual Reports
    December 9, 2020
  • Research
    December 9, 2020
  • Quality & Transparency
    December 9, 2020

News & Media

  • The Alliance of Age Sector NGO’s latest report calls for an Independent Commissioner for Ageing and Older People
    January 25, 2023
  • Christmas Tree delivery in Willie Bermingham Place as part of ongoing effort to Share the Warmth.
    December 12, 2022
  • ALONE encourage older people to reach out for assistance if they are struggling during the cold weather
    December 8, 2022

Independent, Transparent, Quality Assured

One of Ireland’s few Quality Assured charities: ISO 9001:2015

Charity Number: RCN:20020057/CHY 8259

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
© 2021 ALONE. All Rights Reserved.
We use cookies on our website. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Privacy Policy
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT
Poppintree ,Ballymun, Santry

person

Name

Marie Claire Carney
email

Email

[email protected]
phone

Phone

083 415 5526

East West Meath

person

Name

Gary Blanchfield
email

Email

[email protected]

Ballyfermot & Palmerstown

person

Name

Emma Moloney

Southeast Wicklow

person

Name

Mark Johnston
email

Email

[email protected]

North Kilkenny & Kilkenny City

person

Name

Mary Colclough
email

Email

[email protected]
phone

Phone

+353 0864108902

Bandon, Carrigaline, Kinsale

person

Name

Eva Hannigan

Tuam, Athenry & Loughrea

person

Name

Mona Tillmans
email

Email

[email protected]
phone

Phone

860125716

South Limerick City

person

Name

Deborah Blane
email

Email

[email protected]

Inishowen

person

Name

Bronagh Doyle
email

Email

[email protected]
phone

Phone

861716984

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.

Aenean mauris nulla, congue dignissim mattis in, tincidunt in mauris. Vestibulum commodo sodales risus eget tincidunt. Aenean eleifend massa dui.