Boiler breaks
Widow left five weeks without hot water after
AN ELDERLY widow without a boiler for five weeks claims she cannot get a free replacement – as her name is not on her house deeds.
Patricia Griffiths, from Aberdare, said her boiler broke around five weeks ago leaving her with no working radiators or hot water from the taps.
After seeking advice on how to replace the 12-year-old boiler, the 77-year-old was told she may be eligible for a Rhondda Cynon Taf Council scheme.
During her application Ms Griffiths was asked to provide a copy of the deeds to the house on Wind Street, but only her late husband’s name was on the deed meaning she was not eligible.
Mrs Griffiths said: “About five weeks ago my boiler would not come on, and when it did come on the pressure would go down. And then it just went.
“I went to the library and asked for advice, and they put me through to the grant office.
“They said I would be entitled to a free boiler.
“I had to give them bank statements and how much pension I have, then they asked for the deeds to the house but I have never looked for them.”
Mrs Griffiths said that her husband Brian Griffiths, know as Graham, is named on the document but not her, meaning she cannot claim the grant.
Mr Griffiths, who had dementia, was cared for by his wife for eight years before he died aged 75 in 2015.
Mrs Griffiths, who has lived at the property for 53 years, said: “I’m at the end of my tether. I have been so depressed.
“I’m 78 this year, I’ve got kidney problems. It’s really getting me down.”
Despite the broken boiler Ms Griffiths has been able to use her electric shower, but has relied on other means to wash up and heat her home.
She said: “The hardest thing has been the washing because usually when the weather is not good I’ll dry it on the radiators, but I haven’t been able to do that.
“I have got a fire in my living room, but that’s just to heat there and the kitchen.”
Mrs Griffiths added that to wash her dishes she has to boil her kettle and that her bills have increased in cost since the boiler breakdown.
A RCT Council spokeswoman said: “Rhondda Cynon Taf Council officers are actively working on this case and have identified a number of alternative schemes which may assist Mrs Griffiths.
“They are doing all they can to help her secure a replacement boiler as soon as possible.”