Number of people struggling has doubled since pandemic

Number of people struggling has doubled since pandemic

GROUPS who are more vulnerable to poverty, such as the unemployed, single parents and renters, “have found it particularly difficult to manage rising energy costs”, according to poverty charity the Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP).

This follows on from a national Red C survey that found the number of people struggling financially has doubled since before the pandemic.

The results of the survey, conducted on behalf of SVP, revealed that 37 per cent of people have cut back on essential heating and electricity use, while 17 per cent have cut back on other essentials such as food.

According to the survey, 48 per cent of the unemployed respondents had to cut back on essential heating and electricity.

In terms of single parents, almost half (47 per cent) of single parents have cut back on essential heating and electricity, and 37 per cent have cut back on other essentials like food.

A quarter of renters in both private accommodation and local authority housing have cut back on essentials like food in response to rising energy prices, while 61 per cent of renters in local authority housing have cut back on essential heating and electricity.

Dr Tricia Keilthy, SVP’s head of social justice and policy, said: “The importance of this research is that it explores the depth of financial worry and concern across every cohort of the population.

“However, the data clearly shows that the groups more vulnerable to poverty including unemployed people, single parents, and renters have found it particularly difficult to manage rising energy costs.

“Cutting back on essentials like food, going into debt or using savings to pay bills is common.

“Unsurprisingly, these groups also had significant worries about their financial situation for the next six months as their ability to meet their housing and energy costs comes under considerable strain.

“It is also important to remember that better-off families tended to build up their savings during the pandemic, providing a shock absorber for rising prices, but lower income families have no savings and are already in debt.

“It is our experience that even prior to the Covid-19 pandemic and cost of living crisis people living in poverty had to make difficult decisions between essentials.

“In 2020, it was estimated that 800,000 people were experiencing enforced deprivation.

“With the impact of rising costs of essentials and energy bills in particular being much harsher for households on low incomes, there is a clear case for targeted protections to prevent serious hardship in the coming weeks and months.

“It is also critical that Government benchmark social welfare payments and minimum wages to an adequate level and in line with living costs.”

SVP has recommended the extension of the fuel allowance by four weeks, the establishment of a discretionary fund to support households with extra living expenses, the establishment of a rent arrears fund, and an increase in the limits for the Housing Assistance Payment and Rent Supplement.

People seeking assistance can call SVP’s Dublin office on 01 855 0022 and they can direct you to your local office, while parish offices can also direct people to their local conference of SVP.

TAGS
Share This