ALONE’s Annual Cost of Living Survey Shows Older People Can’t Wait for Support

Strong measures are required to address the costs-of-living and pensions crises hitting the older people hardest

In its pre-budget submission, ALONE, the organisation that enables older people to age at home, has unveiled the findings of its annual survey of older people.

The survey – the biggest and most comprehensive survey of its type ALONE has ever conducted – shows that many of the older people ALONE supports are facing real financial hardship.

ALONE CEO Seán Moynihan said: “The message we’re getting from this survey and the over 43,000 older people we support is simple; older people can’t wait. They can’t wait for action on the cost of living; they can’t wait for action on housing; and they cannot face into winter not knowing how they’ll heat their homes. 1 in 3 people we assess cite financial difficulties, ranging from utility bills, food bills to housing expenses.”

Respondents to the survey cited a number of pressure points currently stretching older people’s resources. One respondent said: “You feel under pressure at all times due to the financial stress that comes from the increased cost of living and this feeling gets worse as you head towards the winter months.”

Another said: “There are two of us in the house and I don’t tell the other half about the bills so as not to worry them. I try to juggle the money every week as I worry about it all the time.”

“I’m terrified my oil won’t last”, another respondent said; “I stopped eating meat. I cut down on fruit and I go to bed early because the house is very cold. I get very depressed”

CSO/SILC research also shows that 45.6% of older people living alone would have been at risk of poverty last year without government cost-of-living supports, ALONE’s pre-budget submission includes urgent pleas for targeted measures in:

• An increase in the state pension of at least €22 in 2026, followed by implementation of a benchmarked pension in 2027.
• Minimum increases of €20 to the Fuel Allowance, €10 to the Living Alone Allowance, and €7.50 to the Telephone Support Allowance.
• The establishment and funding of a Commissioner for Older People.
• A €10m fund to support those experiencing energy poverty.

Moynihan said: “The older people we work with are more likely to be in poorer health. They visit the GP twice as often as the national average, and they’re seven times more likely to need to go A&E. We know engaging with ALONE brings those figures down – but it does show that many older people are already in a precarious position. Prices aren’t coming down, the core pension rate isn’t keeping pace with inflation or the cost of living, and more and more older people are exposed to skyrocketing rents. That’s before you add the loss of energy credits and one-off payments into the mix. I wouldn’t hesitate to call this an emergency budget for some older people, and that’s what our proposals are aimed at addressing.”

In addition, ALONE is calling for the following medium-term measures to ensure that older people can weather the current crisis, and age with dignity, now and into the future:

• The immediate building of 1,474 universal-design social housing units of which 103 should be Housing with Support units, annually until 2040 under the National Development Plan.
• A €12.5m increase in funding for Housing Adaptation Grants to help prevent falls.
• A fully funded National Action Plan to tackle loneliness and isolation, to prevent the hurt and damage done by loneliness.
• An increased investment in home support services and €3m to support the development and implementation of the Statutory Home Support Scheme.
• €20m for expanded transport services to improve day care access.
• €25.6m to expand acute mental healthcare capacity for older adults

These are among several measures to support Ireland’s ageing population outlined in the submission, which was launched today.

Seán Moynihan said: “It’s time to get serious about supporting our older population. Inflation has stabilised, but prices are still sky-high. Together with the astronomical expense of rental accommodation – which is increasingly a concern for older people, fewer and fewer of whom own their own homes – we’re looking at multiple crises affecting the most vulnerable in our society”.

NOTES

The full pre-budget submission is available at: https://alone.ie/library/alone-pre-budget-submission/

A full list of costed proposals is included below.

• An increase in the State Pension of at least €22 in 2026, followed by implementation of a benchmarked pension in 2027.
• Minimum increases of €20 to the Fuel Allowance, €10 to the Living Alone Allowance, and €7.50 to the Telephone Support Allowance.
• The establishment and funding of a Commissioner for Older People
• The building of 1,474 social housing units, built to universal design principles to facilitate right-sizing.
• The funding of an additional 1,474 units to include units of Housing with Support, co-housing and other types of supportive housing units.
• A €10m fund to support those experiencing energy poverty
• Invest in the Enhanced Community Care Community Service Hub model to accommodate the growth in our older population
• Fund provision of care in the Housing with Support Pathfinder Project for older people in Inchicore
• A fully funded National Action Plan to tackle loneliness and isolation
• A €328.4m investment in home support services and €3m to support the implementation of the Statutory Home Support Scheme.
• €1.7m for falls prevention exercise programmes.
• €20m for expanded transport services to improve day care access
• A Healthy Ireland public awareness campaign on nutritional information aimed at older adults
• €720,000 for digital enablement training providing by organisations like ALONE, to help older people access virtual health appointments
• €25.6m to expand acute mental healthcare capacity for older adults
• The building of 1,474 social housing units, built to universal design principles to facilitate right-sizing, annually until 2040.
• The funding of an additional 1,474 units to include units of Housing with Support, co-housing and other types of supportive housing units.
• A €12.5m increase in funding for Housing Adaptation Grants

 

About ALONE

ALONE is a national organisation that enables older people to age at home. Our work is for all older people and aims to improve physical, emotional and mental wellbeing. We have a national network of staff and volunteers who provide an integrated system of Support Coordination, Practical Supports, Support & Befriending, a variety of Phone Services, Social Prescribing, Housing with Support and Assistive Technology.

We use individualised support plans, to address health, financial benefits and supports, social care, housing, transport and other arising needs using technology and through harnessing other services.

We work to empower the whole sector of community support for older people through our Community Impact Network that provides Training, IT support and resources to other organisations.