No fuel pay rise for elderly amid row over ‘leave the heat on’ call
Varadkar insists other help is available
THE weekly fuel allowance will not be doubled to ensure older people stay warm during the big freeze, because it would cost €7.6m.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has insisted there are other schemes to help people in need, but he cannot issue “a blank cheque”.
In a slap-down to Jim Daly, the Minister for Older People, the Taoiseach also said the Government was not encouraging people to keep their heat on 24 hours a day.
“The Minister of State Deputy Daly’s advice is not the advice of Government,” he said.
Mr Daly had urged pensioners to “keep the heat going for 24 hours”, leading Opposition parties to unite in calls for the €22.50 a week allowance to be doubled for the duration of Storm Emma.
“Ministers were bullying with Jim over it,” said one source.
It is understood that Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty spent several hours yesterday working with St Vincent de Paul to devise methods of offering immediate help for people facing fuel poverty.
A source said an extra fuel allowance payment would not help in the way suggested as recipients would not get the money until April.
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said Mr Daly had offered “pragmatic advice”, but the Government needed to put the money in place for vulnerable people who “may not be in a position to have heating on 24 hours a day”.
However, Mr Varadkar pointed to the Exceptional Needs Payment and the Urgent Needs Payment.
There were over 103,000 payments issued under these schemes in 2017 – but statistics are not maintained on the numbers refused.
The Exceptional Needs Payment is payable at the discretion of the community officers administering the scheme.
The Department of Social Protection can make an Urgent Needs Payment to a person who may not normally qualify for social welfare support, but who has an urgent need that they cannot meet from their own resources at the time.
The applicant fills out forms and must include receipts.
Labour Party leader Brendan Howlin said some older people “will deprive themselves of essential heat unless there is a very clear instruction”.
“I ask the Taoiseach not to talk about Exceptional Needs Payments. We have all dealt with those for years. They are cumbersome and difficult.
“Do not talk about discretionary application because that depends on the community welfare officer one is dealing with and we have all dealt with various community welfare officers,” he said.
Justin Moran, of Age Action, said colder temperatures left older people at risk of cardiovascular and respiratory illness.
Being cold also pushes up blood pressure, which may trigger heart attacks and strokes.
Older people have a greater likelihood of living in older, less efficient homes.
He said: “The best way to ensure older people are not afraid to keep the heat on during this cold weather is to announce a once-off, double payment of the Fuel Allowance.
“This would give them the assurance they need that keeping warm isn’t going to mean bills they cannot pay.”
Mr Varadkar insisted that social welfare staff would deal with requests in a “sensitive” manner.