Cost-of-living crisis hits older people: ‘There is nothing extravagant in my life that I can cut back’

“It’s more difficult for me now on my own than when I had a family,” says Margaret Cullen (76) as she reflects on the current rising cost-of-living crisis.

Standing outside the Friends of the Elderly centre in Dublin’s north inner city, Ms Cullen, who lives alone in an apartment in Temple Bar, says her ESB bill rose from €54 to €104 over the space of a month.

She doesn’t smoke or drink, get her hair or nails done, adding “there is nothing extravagant in my life that I can cut back anymore than what I’m already doing”.

Ms Cullen was among 70 older people who have gathered at the centre on Wednesday afternoon for their weekly social event, with many saying they are “worried” about their grocery and energy bills, especially with the winter months ahead.

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“You have to find the money somewhere to pay for it [the bills], you have to cut back on other things that you might do weekly… it might be food, it might be going out for a night, or a day or whatever and then you keep the money and pay the electricity or the gas bill,” Ms Cullen says.

“You just have to keep cutting back and cutting back but it’s getting harder and harder now… We’ve paid our way all our life and now it’s becoming more difficult.

“It’s more difficult for me now on my own than when I had a family because I was getting a little bit of help when I had a family but they grew up and started to get little jobs and so on and so forth.

“But now, I’m living alone so there’s no way that I can get more money than what I already am on the old age pension.”

Rose Kelly (78), from Raheny, says she is “afraid” to turn on her central heating and is “terrified” about her bills rising further.

“I can’t buy what I used to buy. I used to buy a two-litre bottle of milk, I can only buy a carton of milk now. So I have to do without my cornflakes because I can’t put the milk on it,” she says.

“Everything has gone up; bread, butter, all the groceries. I don’t buy weekly, being on my own. I only buy bits and pieces every day.

“I don’t think I could afford to do a week’s shopping in one go. By no means, could I afford to do a week’s shopping, not with the bills now.”

Ms Kelly says she “can’t get by” on the old age pension and doesn’t believe any of the budgetary measures being promised by the Government will help.

“The electricity is going to go up and up, so no matter what you get off them [the Government], it’s being taken back off you. They gave us €200, it’s gone already. They would want to be giving you that every week, along with your pension,” she adds.

Richard Walsh (86) lives with his daughter and her family in Finglas and admits he hasn’t been affected as badly as some older people.

“I live with my daughter and she absorbs most of the costs, I give her a few bob towards housekeeping. I know it’s rough for a lot of people but it hasn’t actually hit me yet as such,” he says.

Mr Walsh notes, however, they are “certainly watching the bills now” and that he is unsure if he would be able to survive financially if he was living alone.

“We’re switching off things that don’t need to be on. I switch off most things going to bed.”