OAPs TOLD: RUN YOUR HEAT 24/7
But don’t worry, Minister Daly says the Government will pick up the bill!
MINISTER for the Elderly Jim Daly yesterday urged pensioners to run their heating day and night during the cold snap – and worry about how to pay later.
Mr Daly said OAPs should buy fuel now and aim to get the money back from social welfare.
However, the Fine Gael TD was criticised over his comments last night, because it wasn’t clear that these payments would be approved.
Mr Daly urged the elderly to ‘keep the heat going for 24 hours’ during the ‘Beast from the East’, as the Siberian cold snap has been dubbed.
And ahead of the icy blast, briquettes and other essentials including bread and vegetables were swept off the shelves in a nationwide bout of
panic buying. This frenzy saw the stock of bread at one branch of Tesco almost completely gone by 3pm yesterday.
Amid the panic, Mr Daly urged the elderly not to skimp on heating, and said that if they don’t have the money, they should use the fuel anyway– a remark that led to a clash with the Age Action organisation.
‘If money is a problem, you can take advantage of current welfare schemes,’ he said.
However, his spokesman later agreed it would mean the elderly person would need to have an encounter with a Community Welfare Officer at their local social protection office. CWOs have discretion, meaning they could refuse to pay for fuel already burnt.
The Minister’s comments sparked criticism from Justin Moran of Age Action, who said: ‘I don’t think people should be encouraged to burn all their fuel and then seek help.’
He added: ‘Older people are Remarks criticised: Jim Daly going to be scared of getting themselves into debt.’ Even a pre-approval meeting with a CWO might not lead to any clarity, he said.
The Department of Social Protection was not consulted in advance about Mr Daly’s press release, even though it could result in extra pressure on its staff. Mr Daly said the ‘uniquely cold weather conditions over the coming days mean the elderly should not stint on fuel use’.
‘Shivering behind a single electric bar will be penny wise and pound foolish,’ he said, adding that pensioners who live at home should keep the heat going for 24 hours.
But Age Action said the elderly were inherently cautious and conservative, not ready to burn fuel without stint, and that no amount of urging them could change this. Mr Moran said: ‘It would be better for the Government to be encouraging Community Welfare Officers to be proactive and to reach out to older people. We should be trying to provide fuel to them in advance.’
Even if various social welfare schemes did allow for payments after the fact, old people would not act on a possible or even probable reimbursement or indemnity, he suggested. However, a special adviser to Mr Daly told the Irish Daily Mail that there had been retrospective approval in flooding cases, using the same schemes – the Urgent Needs Payment (UNP) and the Exceptional Needs Payment (ENP).
Mr Daly noted that ‘Exceptional Needs can cover help with fuel bills’. He added: ‘The current weather conditions are exceptional. They meet those criteria.’ But Age Action said discretionary powers delegated to CWOs by the schemes were just that – discretionary.
The minister’s spokesman later appeared to agree, telling the Mail: ‘It all depends on your circumstances. They don’t need to be pre-approved, and they can go to the CWO afterwards. It could be depending on their means. If they can prove they have nothing in the bank and no savings, there shouldn’t be an issue.’
The Department of Social Protection was cautious when asked to mediate on the rival
‘Scared of getting into debt’
claims last night, avoiding questions on whether its welfare officers could now come under pressure. However, it appeared to indicate it would prefer pensioners to buy in bulk in advance of adverse weather – rather than to seek reimbursement for expended fuel after the fact.
The Department said people who were in a position to buy multiple bags of coal could in some instances get them for as much as €3 cheaper per bag.
A spokeswoman said: ‘The Department’s ENP and UNP and the schemes are available to all qualified people – they’re not limited to the elderly. Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme, the Department may make a single ENP to help meet essential expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income.’
But, crucially, it confirmed: ‘The payment is subject to a means assessment and payments are made at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme, taking into account the circumstances of the case, so that the payments target those most in need of assistance.’
The Department may make a UNP to a person who may not normally qualify, but who has ‘an urgent need which they cannot meet from their own resources, or an alternative is not available at that time’.
Information can be found at www.welfare.ie/fuel, it said.
If the elderly are uncertain they can call the Senior Help Line on 1800 804591, or Citizens Information on 0761 074000.
It comes as the cold snap swept across Europe yesterday – bringing snow and strong winds. The worst of the weather is set to hit Ireland on Thursday, and Minister for Rural and Community Development Michael Ring reminded people of the need to look out for older and more vulnerable members of their community. ‘I urge people throughout the country to check in on your neighbours by phone or, if possible, in person,’ he said.