THAT staunch campaigner for the rights and interests of the elderly, Daphne Minihane, coined a memorable phrase when she warned Islanders that it will be a case of ‘eat or heat’ for some pensioners this winter.

However, no matter how neatly the expression trips off the tongue, we should remember that it was far more than a soundbite. Even in affluent Jersey, it sums up harsh reality for part of the community.

Mr Minihane was speaking against the background of recent increases in the cost not only of fuel but also of food. For people on small fixed incomes – and that will include younger families as well as the elderly – these rises represent not an inconvenience or even an erosion of their ability to spend on luxury items. On the contrary – their ability to afford the very basics of life has been prejudiced.

Fortunately, it seems that officialdom, as well as campaigners, has recognised the pressures that a small but significant portion of the population will undoubtedly feel. Social Security Minister Paul Routier is asking the States to increase the winter fuel allowance by 28 per cent – a figure which actually exceeds the 26 per cent by which fuel prices have risen during the past 12 months.

This proposal has yet to be put to the Assembly, but it would be remarkable if Members were unwilling to assent to Senator Routier’s request, given the present level of general concern about prices, the less well-off and the impact of new taxation.

That said, Members and the Senator need be absolutely confident that the 2,250 families who are likely to benefit from the proposed increase represent all those at risk. As Citizens Advice Bureau manager Francis Le Gresley has pointed out, untargeted fuel benefits would be a nonsense because of the many Islanders who simply do not need them, but it is also imperative that no one is allowed to fall through the safety net.

What with the constant drive to build a prosperous economy and in the presence of so much conspicuous wealth and conspicuous consumption, it is all too easy for some to forget that good fortune is not spread evenly in this Island. The proposed fuel allowance increase cannot alter this state of affairs, but it would certainly ease hardship and even misery.