Pensioner 'dreading winter' ahead of cuts to fuel payment

Rita Cassidy (66), from Enniskillen, is just one of thousands of pensioners who are set to lose out on the payment, which to her is "the difference between putting on the heating and going cold". 

Imminent cuts mean that those who aren't eligible for Pension Credit can no longer claim the Winter Fuel Payment, which include Mrs. Cassidy, who is only £3.75 over the payment threshold.

"When I applied for Pension Credit I was told I was getting £3.75 too much to qualify," she explained.

"Then, this announcement came out that they aren't giving the Winter Fuel Payment to anyone who isn't on Pension Credit.

"So for the sake of £3.75, I have lost both the Pension Credit and the Winter Fuel Payment. 

"They [the government] said they aren't giving it to millionaire pensioners - but what about people, like myself, who are just a few pounds over it?"

Rita Cassidy, a pensioner from Enniskillen. (Image: Tim Flaherty.)

Mrs. Cassidy, who suffers from a number of disabilities, fears that the loss of the payment will have a direct impact on her health and well-being.

"Not getting this payment will have a massive impact on me, all told," she said.

"It is the difference between putting on the heating and going cold.

"I am already cold, and winter isn't even here yet. I have an underactive thyroid which means that when I get cold, I get really cold. I get chilled to the bone.

"I have limited mobility, which means I can't move around much to warm myself.

"I am practically living in an 'oodie' [a blanket with sleeves], and this is before the winter has even hit!

"Truthfully, I don't know what I'm going to do when winter comes in. I am really dreading it."

It is estimated that 249,600 pensioners will no longer be eligible for the payment, worth between £100 and £300, as a result of proposed changes to the scheme.

And while Mrs. Cassidy has been doing her best to prepare for winter heating costs, like many pensioners she has been hindered by the cost-of-living crises. 

"It's really going to impact me because I use gas [for heating], and I am dreading to see the prices going up because I can't afford it," she said.

"My plan was to try and build up my gas supply during the summer, but I simply haven't had the money to do that.

"If you were well off, you would make sure you had plenty topped up for winter, but this isn't an option for me.

"For people like myself, it's the difference between being cold and not."

Mrs. Cassidy, who runs a local Facebook group, 'Enniskillen Friends, Family and Neighbours', said she has been contacted by numerous pensioners who are in the same situation.

"An awful lot of people have said that they are desperate this year, and it's sad to hear," she said.

"There're a lot of pensioners who spend their time on the bus in the winter, or in Asda or Tesco, simply because it's warm there.

"To many, it's the choice of freezing at home or getting on a bus, and they are even talking about taking away bus passes next.

"The way I look at it, these decisions are going to affect so many older people in the future. 

"I can see our hospitals being run down this year. Everyone should be fighting against this, as it is going to impact this whole generation." 

Mrs. Cassidy also feels that pensioners are being targeted by cuts because they "cannot fight back".

"They [the government] have went after the ones who can't protest.

"If there was a protest in the town tomorrow, I couldn't go to it. I can't stand for very long, and I can't walk very far, so I wouldn't be able to attend.

"That is what they are relying on - no-one fighting back.

"Those in charge need to get their priorities right, and to go after the companies that aren't paying tax, or billionaires with money in offshore accounts.

"If they need money, these are the people they need to go after, not struggling pensioners."