Fuel poverty strategy urgently needed

The Older & Bolder alliance today expressed its surprise and concern that the Government has announced cuts to fuel, electricity and phone allowances in the absence of the appropriate and promised planning framework, the Fuel Poverty Strategy.

Older & Bolder’s Director, Patricia Conboy, said “These cuts will affect vulnerable older people,  carers and people with disabilities, all of whom are groups supported by the eight members of our alliance.  Older & Bolder would be very concerned if the lack of engagement  with older people’s organisations prior to the announcement of these cuts were to foreshadow this Government’s general method of decision making. It is vital that any future changes affecting older people take place in a planned and systematic way to ensure that we do not undermine the supports that allow many older people to maintain their levels of independence and participation, and to live healthy and full lives.”

“Accordingly, Older & Bolder calls on the Government to press ahead as a matter of urgency with its commitment to publish and implement its Fuel Poverty Strategy so that we’re dealing with this issue in holistic rather than a piecemeal way.

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

Patricia Conboy said that Older & Bolder is concerned that the number of electricity and gas units to be covered by the household package is being reduced at a time when major price rises are imminent.

“We know from calls to the Older & Bolder office that the announcement of welfare cuts has caused some alarm to many older people. The welfare cuts announced will most affect older people and we know from calls we have received since that they have caused some alarm to many older people. We also know from research that we have carried out with older people since the onset of the recession that many older people will respond to these cutbacks by only heating one room in their homes and by putting the heat on for a shorter time period.

“Unfortunately, given the colder winters we are now experiencing this leaves older people much more vulnerable to illness and, for a small number, premature death. This is why it is vital that the Government publishes and implements its Fuel Poverty Strategy to ensure that we are dealing with this issue in a considered rather than ad-hoc way,” Patricia Conboy said.

Ms Conboy concluded by saying that it ’is vital that we learn the lessons from this experience and that the Government taps into the expertise and experience of the older people’s organisations through effective consultation in shaping its future policies.