As she had predicted Budget 2020 is not going to bring any great changes to the life of Maureen Mulryan.
The €5 increase in the living alone allowance will mean a weekly increase of €2.50 for her as she has half an Irish pension and half a UK pension.
Of the €2 increase in the fuel allowance she said “it’s not going to buy very much, but it is something.
The 86-year old Longford native spent 35 years working in London and returned to live in Longford in 1998 on a repatriation scheme. She now lives “in a lovely bungalow” just outside the town and has “lovely neighbours.”
“I do feel that pensioners are like the forgotten people. It seems like we cost so much over the years, now we’re in the way, they’d prefer if we died off.”
Ms Mulryan pointed out that her UK pension had been increased by £2 every year in recent years.
Budget 2020 is not going to improve life for “the poor people out there with special needs,” she said.
“There are older people out there who are minding adult children with special needs or partners with conditions like Alzheimer’s. This is not going to do much for them.