MSE News: High energy costs force elderly to cut food spending

Former_MSE_Guy

This is the discussion thread for the following MSE News Story:

"With power firms set to hike costs and food inflation rocketing, the elderly must sometimes choose between staying warm and eating ..."

Read the full story:
High energy costs force elderly to cut food spending

KimYeovil

'Force'? In what way are they 'forced' to choose.

A single pensioner receives £600 per month. A couple receive £910 per month. This is on top of housing allowances. Can someone please explain to me why £600 is not more than enough to eat, heat and participate in society?

Unemployed or redundant older people between 50 and 65 may have troubles juggling bills but can someone please explain why a single pensioner with an income of £600 is in trouble. £150 for heating, £150 for food - that leaves £300. £100 for other incidental bills - that's £200 left over. And I am overestimating the heating/fuels bills.

KimYeovil

Rereading the MSE report of the story as far as I can see the only point being made is:

if people do not bother to put a little money aside over summer then they may have to juggle carefully when it's nippy.

Hardly a case of expecting them to eat stale brioche.

freudianslip

I'm unsure why the elderly have been the focus of the report. There's everyday families on low incomes, average incomes that are struggling now, let alone in the winter. People are on the bread line, people who work, get no or very little hand outs are on the bread line.

A report, hastily put together to emphasise the news of the SP rise? Like we need it emphasising?

Joe Bloggs out there is boggered, but Joe Bloggs doesn't make for very good sensationalising I guess.

Cardew

The £200 Winter Fuel allowance for the 60+ is now just treated as normal income.

I agree with the post above - high energy bills are a problem for all sections of society and we don't need the 'pensioners freezing to death/starving to be able to afford heating' articles!

ne1945

Kim Yeovil, You really do no know what you are talking about, what about rent, rates, insurances, most pensioners have worked all their lives to live in penury, get your facts right

KimYeovil wrote: »

'Force'? In what way are they 'forced' to choose.

A single pensioner receives £600 per month. A couple receive £910 per month. This is on top of housing allowances. Can someone please explain to me why £600 is not more than enough to eat, heat and participate in society?

Unemployed or redundant older people between 50 and 65 may have troubles juggling bills but can someone please explain why a single pensioner with an income of £600 is in trouble. £150 for heating, £150 for food - that leaves £300. £100 for other incidental bills - that's £200 left over. And I am overestimating the heating/fuels bills.

KimYeovil

What angers me the most is this sort of scare non-story is the very thing that is quite likely to cause the harm that they are protesting. A vulnerable elderly person hears all the stories stating they can not afford to put the heating on and go shopping. As a consequence they keep the heating off and suffer the consequences.

You and Yours, Help the Aged, Money Saving Expert - the blood is as much on your hands as on the fat cats'!

KimYeovil

ne1945 wrote: »

Kim Yeovil, You really do no know what you are talking about, what about rent, rates, insurances, most pensioners have worked all their lives to live in penury, get your facts right

Rent - already accounted for; rates - already accounted for.

Those must be some hefty insurance premiums you are paying!

lemontart

As others have said whilst this report highlights the elderly there are many others not of pensionable age who are already in this position with out the rates increase, you do not have to be a maths expert to realise that whilst wages for those lucky enough to have work have been frozen if not cut in some cases and the increased pressure on that income means many will have to choose whether or not to turn the heating on come winter.

I am already in this position having not used my central heating for around 3 years - looks like not getting turned on again this year.

Most people are facing ever increasing pressures on what ever income they have, not only the elderly though they are more vulnerable possibly on a health risk front.

Bet the thermal wear manufacturers are doing well and the hot water bottle sales are up too.!

Devils-Advocate_3

What a load of scaremongering, reactionary, load of !!!!!!!!. This kind of article is ridiculous, I'm sorry but a balanced view of events is much more useful than "blah blah blah energy prices going up, all our oldies are going to starve and croack it"

freudianslip

I don't know about scare mongering or reactionary because it's a true piece of writing as far as I can see, my quibble with it is, as above, why just the elderly? Every day people will have to think about whether they should turn on the heat. It's not an exaggerated piece by any means because I believe many people will cut back on their food shopping budget to accommodate a really cold winter month.