Janice R. Andrews
Northern Ireland’s Executive recently decided to follow Westminster’s lead and put means tests on winter fuel payments. This has made pensioners very angry, as they say that the change will make it harder for many to pay for basic things. These payments, worth up to £300, will only go to people on pension credit or other benefits based on their income, according to a new policy revealed by Communities Minister Gordon Lyons. It starts this fall. The policy change was announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves last month and is already in place in England and Wales.
The changes have been terrible for Anne Greenan, an 87-year-old widow from east Belfast. The winter heat payment has helped Ms. Greenan get through the colder months. She is the chair of the Belfast East Seniors Forum. Because of the new means-testing rules, she can’t get the payment anymore, even though her income is just above the level for pension credit.
It will be good foods like fruits and other things like that that I enjoy that I will be cutting back on, Ms. Greenan said. “While I don’t go out with friends, I do enjoy nice things and good food. However, I need to save a few pennies here and there.” Besides, “I just feel like we made it through the pandemic and are getting back to normal. But now they’ve taken away what little we had left and made it back to normal.”
A lot of seniors in Northern Ireland agree with Ms. Greenan. They now have to make hard choices about whether to heat their homes or eat well. For those who will no longer get paid, the term “heat or eat” has become a harsh reality. During the cold months, the winter fuel payment, which used to be given to all retirees regardless of income, has been a lifesaver for many older people, helping them pay for the high costs of heating.
The choice to base the payments on income has been called a “disgrace” by those who will be impacted. “This winter, it’s going to be heat or eat for a lot of people. They’re going to bed earlier, getting up later, and saving every penny they can because it’s hard to heat your house in the winter,” Ms. Greenan said. She also said that the Northern Ireland government was dealing with tight budgets, saying, “I understand that the Northern Ireland government is trying to make the money go as far as possible and improve that service as well as the health service.” There isn’t any money, though. I wish they would give us something; maybe they’ll surprise us.
In a letter to the Northern Ireland Assembly, Minister Lyons said that he understood how hard the choice was but stressed the importance of keeping things the same as they are in the rest of the UK. Section 87 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 says that social security benefits must be given at the same rates and under the same terms everywhere in the UK, unless a block grant from the central government covers extra costs in Northern Ireland.
The Northern Ireland Executive can’t go against Westminster’s policies too much because of the Treasury block grant, which pays for over 90% of Northern Ireland’s day-to-day activities. Some people can see the financial reason for this, but it has a big emotional and practical effect on pensioners who are losing an important source of support.
As winter draws near, a lot of seniors are worriedly adding up their spending, knowing that they will have to make tough decisions to stay warm and healthy. A lot of people, including Ms. Greenan and other seniors, are upset about how fair and sufficient social support is during a time of rising costs and economic instability.
