Some of Cork’s elderly cutting back on Christmas presents for grandchildren due to financial pressures

Elderly people in Cork are “finding it very difficult to exist” as rising costs lead to them cutting down on heating, seeing friends, and buying Christmas presents for grandchildren, leaving them feeling very guilty, a Cork advocate has said.

It comes as a new report on Irish retirement living standards released by the Pensions Council and KPMG shows that a single person would need a pension of €33,600 a year, and a couple would need €43,200 a year, in order to have a “comfortable” retirement.

For a “modest” retirement, which means basic needs are covered and there is a little money left over for non-essentials, a single person would need a pension of €19,200 a year and a couple would need €28,800.

Cork advocate for the elderly Paddy O’Brien told The Echo that €33k was considerably more than the majority of people had, saying: “A lot of elderly people would be in the poverty bracket, especially people living alone. What people forget is that a person living alone has the same expenses in terms of electricity and fuel.”

He explained: “Lots of elderly people went to work at a very young age, and went into jobs with no private pension scheme, so from the time they retire, many tell me they go into the poverty bracket because they can’t live on the state pension.

“The government has to look at that situation and ask ‘how are the elderly living?’, because when I visit elderly people, they tell me when they go to the supermarket they’re getting less in their trolley.

“They’re cutting back on things — a group of friends used to get a taxi to bingo, but now it costs €80 so that’s gone now, they can’t go — they’re barely living.”

Mr O’Brien continued: “Many are finding it difficult to afford the fuel to keep their homes warm, people are cutting back on how early they light the fire or turn on the heating, or they are cutting back on how many showers they can have a week to save on their hot water because they know at the end of the month they’ll have exorbitant bills.”

He also highlighted issues specific to the run up to Christmas.

“Christmas is very expensive, I had one woman tell me that due to the cost of bills and food, she had to cut back on presents for her grandchildren and she felt so guilty — thousands of people are experiencing the same thing and are feeling the same way.”

Mr O’Brien concluded: “I welcome this report and I congratulate the people who produced it, it shows that people in the poverty bracket make up a high percentage of our elderly.

“I hope that the new government will not just read it, but do something about it.”