Petition against cuts on elderly

Dear sir - Age Action is urging the Government to reverse cuts to the free gas and electricity units for pensioners, amid growing concern at the severe hardship which the cuts will have for the most vulnerable of older people this winter. The older people's charity appeals for the public to support its petition for the reversal of the cuts, which commenced in September. This is literally a life and death issue for hundreds of older people who will struggle to heat their homes to a safe level over the coming months. While resources are tight, we all have a responsibility to protect our most vulnerable citizens from cuts which will cause harm and even death. Research on fuel poverty and older people by the Dublin Institute of Technology and the Institute of Public Health, funded by CARDI and due to be published in the coming weeks, shows that during the winter of 2006/7 there were 1,281 excess winter deaths. Of these, the vast majority were older people (1,216 were aged over 65). These are older people who are dying of cardiovascular and respiratory illness - cold-related conditions. These are people who are dying because they cannot afford to heat their homes to a safe level. The new research highlights the scale of the silent suffering being experienced by older people. In response to a questionnaire earlier this year, almost a quarter of respondents (24 per cent) said their homes were "too cold" and more than half (51 per cent) went without other necessities to pay their fuel bills. The Government's decision to cut the free gas/electricity units by between 20 per cent and 25 per cent is going to make life much harder for the most vulnerable of older people. Age Action also used the petition launch to publish their pre-Budget submission for the December Budget. Fuel poverty is one of five key issues addressed. The others were income, health, transport and employment. Yours, Eamon Timmins, Age Action, 30/31 Lr Camden Street, Dublin 2.