‘IT’S LIKE THROWING A DOG A BONE IN THE HOPE IT WILL KEEP HIM QUIET’
MAJELLA HORGAN
A FORMER nurse on the invalidity pension has criticised the €12 increase in welfare payments as a ‘slap in the face’.
On Tuesday, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe announced that every social welfare payment will increase by €12 weekly, but many were expecting a bigger hike.
Those on payments, including pensions, invalidity pension, jobseekers allowance and others are expected to receive two double payments later this year, one in October, and one again at Christmas.
Former paediatric nurse Majella Horgan, who spent three decades in the role but is now on the invalidity pension following spinal fusion surgery, slammed the €12 increase, saying it was almost ‘a slap in the face.’
‘I think the Government thinks that those who are on pensions, either invalidity or otherwise, pay cheaper electricity’, Ms Horgan joked. ‘But that’s not the case, we’re paying the same as everybody else!’
‘It’s very disappointing. I thought that maybe we’d get the increase of €15-20, but [€12] is like throwing a dog a bone in the hopes that it’ll keep him quiet for a while.’
Ms Horgan welcomed the double payments next month and at Christmas, but said it may not be enough, due to the soaring costs of inflation.
‘It’s good, but I think I would’ve preferred to see them increase the pensions more [rather than two double payments],’ she said.
‘At least then you’d have a higher regular income every week, rather than just getting the lump sum in the double payment that can be gone quickly,’ she told Extra.ie.
She added that while she ‘won’t look for sympathy,’ she has seen that when she tries to save money, the money inevitably is spent on escalating bills.
‘From this time last year to now, things have really gone up in price,’ she said.
‘I would have had a small amount of spare change in my purse at the end of the month last year, but now I don’t have any spare change.
‘The likes of electricity have gone up, solid fuels have doubled in price, and shopping has gone up again.
‘I’d be fairly thrifty with stuff like that, and I’d have a little bit left over to spend on myself.
‘In the last six months I’ve noticed that I have very little to do that because everything is going towards household bills. Shopping, petrol... the basics.’