Pensioners hit by soaring cost of heating
Friday 21st January 2011, 3:00PM GMT.
Pensioners are struggling to keep warm because of the cost of heating
ONE in every five pensioners living alone in Jersey cannot afford to heat their home.
The official States Statistics Unit figure is given as evidence by Senator Francis Le Gresley that more money should be given to the over 65s to help with soaring fuel bills.
Senator Le Gresley is calling on the States to back a proposal to extend winter fuel payments of £225 a year to 1,400 more pensioners at a cost of £315,000.
That money, he suggests, could come from scrapping the black-tie Jersey Enterprise Awards, which cost £75,000, and slashing the budgets of the rural initiative scheme, which gives grants to new rural businesses projects, by £100,000 and of the business advisory service, which gives help to local firms, by £134,000.
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“ONE in every five pensioners living alone in Jersey cannot afford to heat their home
Population control?”
On a more serious note, 75% of drinkers can’t afford to get leathered every day anymore – and the other half aren’t much better off.
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How disgusting. The island is putting peoples lives at risk, where is your human kindess?
We should be thinking about helping our own before helping others outside of the island.
May be we should follow Romania and adopt a granny/grandpa.
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This is a great idea and something that has to happen! We need to support and look after the elderly on this island!
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Good on you Senator
It’s about something is done in the Island for the pensioners and the people that a less off.
I agree that the money could come from scrapping the black-tie Jersey Enterprise Awards, which cost £75,000,its only a few elite few that are choose to attend and sent tickets. Also I agree that slashing the budgets of the rural initiative scheme, which gives grants to new rural businesses projects, by £100,000 and of the business advisory service which the people of Jersey don’t seem to reap the befits let alone see what has meant to have been improved.
GOOD ON YOU! really hope you get lots of support
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Better still slash 8 states members from the House saving around £400,000 a year .
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What did they expect?
Prices rising steeply including oil gas and electricity,obviously something had to give.
Hardly any rise in pension,how do folk make ends meet?
In the supposedly land of plenty,isn’t it time to get your priorities right?
Stop pandering to the well off and for once look after the ones that matter.
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One overpaid member of staff from the disasterous Waterfront Development they ‘earn’ £300k plus.
Would pay for alot of heating.
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Great idea but wrong cuts.
Pointless new statues (wait for the suggestion for a Royal Wedding one), hold all pavement widening/road rearrangement schemes.
Cut States’ Members, & no new iPads – oh yes, make them pay for parking (and try to bl**dy find some) like the rest of us plebs.
What a lovely story for the national press/Mark Thomas – “Millionaire Island happy to leave pensioners in poverty”.
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In this day and age NOBODY should be cold in their home…the power suppliers are making a fortune and are being allowed to do so by an un principled Government that worships Mammon.
it would be so easy to keep the needy warm with just a little less extra profit taken.
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I do feel for these people, they couldn’t possibly have known that they would get old and have to live on a limited income. Unless of course they chose to provide for their retirement. Can’t have it both ways, live well when young, spend your money and enjoy the good life or plan for your retirement as presumably the other 80% have done.
I assure they have it better than we are likely to do, retirement for us won’t be at 65, more like 75 and state pension – forget it.
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Easily remedied..Get rid of the loss making Steven Izatt and give the money to keep them warm and have change left over…job done
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This is utterly disgraceful to read things like the above, we live in 2010 not in 1500′s, but unfortunately, i am damn sure States Members will be sitting nice & cosy in there houses as they have no worries about paying there Heating Bills. I would also like to say it is not only the elderly people suffering it is younger people also, as elderly & ((younger people who earn low wages)) are also in the same boat & just cannot afford these absurd bills.
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It is not just pensioners. It is everyone on a low income. Everyone who is on a low income needs help with heating!
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in a island as well off as jersey, this headline is a shocker to say the least.
these people who worked all their lives and saved a bit , which has been eaten up by the poor bank interest rates , and ever rising inflation.
get a good private pension , some may shout , only to see it dwindle , with market value reductions, or worse.
the way the old are treated, is a disgrace .
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No doubt when GST goes up again more will be at risk of dieing from hypothermia.
A very rich island for some whilst the vast majority can survive as best they can.
A two tier society where the rich get even richer and the poorer get left behind in the race to get the most.
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Misjudged this Senator when elected. Thought he would be much too soft / Mt Nice guy and eaten by States sharks. He stands his ground and does his homework. Well done
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Absolutely right about Izatt – just reduce his pay from £380,000 to £180,000 and the job’s half done. I am sure that he could survive on that.
Better still he could offer a pensioner hugging / hand rub service as part of his role. Would slow down his buggeration of the Waterfront as well.
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Many pensioers are asset rich but income poor. Many live in homes that are far too big for their neeeds and are too expensive to heat but do not wish to downsize. These people should not receive further handouts.
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Over £100 000 000 for a new incinerator and it does’nt even have district heating.
Ask the TTS how many mega watts of heat are dumped to atmosphere when its up and running.
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The first thing to spend money on is long-johns and other thermal underwear. We have personally significantly cut our fuel consumption by dressing warmly – and this does not have to mean lots of bulk.
As to sources of funding, it is short sighted to take money from schemes designed to encourage businesses that employ people and create tax revenue.
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The price of heating will always be high. Especially people that live in badly insulated properties. I can hardly afford to heat my swimming pool these days!
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I hope these handouts are only going to tenants of social housing and not to people who own their own properties! Surely anyone that owns their own property should not receive handouts to help heat their own home thus leaving less for the less fortunate that truly have nothing….
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Population control please, why on earth should the elderly who have worked and paid taxes and social security for all of their lives be kicked in the teeth when they really need help?
All the money on the pot is being wasted on the workshy, and most certainly a lot of immigrants, every time I have visited social security it is full of young portuguese and polish girls with kids and people who cant and wont speak english,taxpayers money tops this up and we leave our elderly and infirm in this predicament? Disgusting sort it out and do what Guernsey is doing for all of our sakes someone with half a brain needs to get this Island sorted pronto.
Am fed up of the racism towards the locals and the attitudes of the people who think this island wouldn’t manage without them REALITY CHECK PLEASE it would manage a lot better, schools would be better off (We wouldn’t be putting in so much taxpayers money to top up state schools because of immigrant workers on minimum wage who cant afford to be taxed, the arguments are endless actually, social housing don’t even get me started on that) All of my working life my taxes aren’t being apportioned the way I think is fair or just !!!! What the hell is it going to be like when I retire?
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18. Mr I think you must assume that every pensioner over here is rich or wealthy enough to have their own home? What planet are you on exactly? A lot of these elderly live in social housing and have you seen the state of disrepair?
20. Am sure a lot of the elderly wrap up and wear thermals etc and layers of clothing, they have probably been doing it longer than you or I have been around, elderly people do tend to get ill and haven’t all got the health and blood circulation us youngsters have? Especially when they live in poorly maintained housing and they don’t all live in a big house?
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D Mc S – No. 18 “Asset rich, but income poor” eh? I live on a farm that won’t easily sell in these times of austerity. You appear to have all the compassion of a slug with rigor mortis.
Perhaps it’s time to look at cutting back on all the fat cat salaries for those in States Department ‘non jobs’ and use the money saved to give heating allowances for the elderly.
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why should pensioners get more? they are already getting double what anyone who is under the age of 50 will get when they are old.
this is robbing from those who have nothing to give to those who are more likely to vote. and at the same time making you believe it is somehow “progressive”. You have to laugh as the turkeys line up to vote for Xmas.
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Rubbish rubbish rubbish.Pensioners in Jersey are far better off than working families who are fleeced with tax payments. I can only afford to heat one room at a time, whilst my in-law pensioners whinge about their pensions and how hard up they are while they eat out in restaurants and leave their central heating on all night whilst they are out. It is my generation that will suffer in the future.
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I can’t believe the uncharitable comments about some on the commentators on this site. At least I have the satisfaction of knowing that everyone contributing to this discussion will get old – or at least I hope they do. I hope however that those who are younger than you, when you are pensioners, will think more of your welfare than you do of your seniors.
Mr. Phlegm, I do so hope it doesn’t go onto your chest and give you breathing problems.
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Vicky. whilst i agree on all you say, i am not sure what guernsey is doing to help locals there, they also have a big problem with overpopulation caused by imports, causing a drain on everything
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No 25, Thanks , you reinforce my point. How much is your farm worth?
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Vicki 23.
Vicki, I think you are aware of my stance toward racism (be it racism against physical diversity, a nation or the man from the next village). I also think you realise that I comprehend your feeling of exasperation at what you consider the disintegration of your homeland. However, we see things from very different viewpoints; I, unlike you, blame the cause of the problems and not the symptoms. I reproach the “powers that be” for not even attempting to stop “freeloaders” (of all races) from abusing Jersey’s very laudable social system.
That clear, and secure in the knowledge that you will give me honest answers, I would like to ask you two questions.
1. Do you believe that a teenage mother who has never worked (therefore, has never contributed to the system), daughter of parents who have never worked (idem), deserves to be housed and receive benefits simply because she has indigenous roots?
2. Do you believe that individuals who have worked regularly for years, or at least for the predetermined period (therefore, have contributed to the system) do not deserve to be housed or receive benefits simply because they lack indigenous roots?
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The Thinker 10.
What you say is not untrue, however, things are not always so clear cut. For example, for eight years I worked for an American company and paid regularly into an important pension fund. Dismally, when the “financial bubble” burst, my investment “evaporated”…never to be seen again! And, although I was rather annoyed at the time, I had to admit that I considered myself to be one of the lucky ones…you see, some of my older colleagues were close to retirement and were left high and dry.
The moral of the story is: “no matter hard we save and plan for the future, we can never be sure that the future we have in mind is the one that will transpire!”
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This is a cost cutting measure. Killing off pensioners means less pensions to pay out. Win win situation?
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Jeeeeez, everyone’s got their own personal issues and crusades they want to air all the time.
Forget about who’s doing well and who isn’t – concentrate on the old people who are currently struggling.
On another forum I’ve suggested a solution which could go some way towards helping the situation.
The states could pre-pay for bulk energy from the providers, at a reasonable discount, and pass the savings onto the pensioners by way of a voucher system.
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This is what drives me mad in this island. Every year the same drivel.
Why not decide what the pension should be and then stick with it? Who would lose out other than politicians desperate for publicity in an election year? If pensioners need more money let’s debate it and set pensions at the right level. But let’s have the debate once only and then move on.
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Maybe we could have used the social security fund surplus to help here…ah but wait this was raided Maxwellian style by the Health Department to fund Doctors keeping themselves up to standard. I suggest we fix the fundamental wrongs, we will all be penioners on pensions someday….
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How about stopping the ridiculous town park project and take the £10 million and spend it on the elderly heating costs for the next 20 years and still have change to give school milk to the kids?
MMM I didn’t think the COM would go for that!
Why not? Well for starters the developers would be very sad at not making a killing on the removal of toxic waste and then filling the hole up again so as not to pollute the environment with those pesky cars.
The same cars that take people to work to pay taxes to finance the town park!
I know its crazy but that’s just the way it is. WE WORK AND THEY SPEND IT.
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some great posts…before this is taken down for the cynics and doubters…we will all get old and die….look at the picture once more,particularly the hands,hands that have worked and no doubt raised babies…look at the power source a crappy 2 bar fire and ask ourselves are we really O.K. with someone who has done their bit ending up like this and either too worried to put the thing on or just going to bed to try and keep warm….in an island where we pay non producers a quarter of a million pounds plus expenses a year ,the disconnect is obscene.
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A jersey pension is nearly twice as much as a UK one.
There will never be enough.
Unless you have actually saved for your old age yourself.
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This is what Ozouf and Le Sueur call hard decisions. Born with silver spoons in their mouths they have never made a hard choice in their life.
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Vikki, your comments are deplorable re other races in Jersey, and what are you doing at social so many times trying to get benefits? Its a great pity that you do not realise that many polish and portuguese lost their lives in the second world war so you can live freely today,as for the reality check, its you who needs one.
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23 Vicki,
You obviously don’t have clue of what it is to come to Jersey, earn £200/week, spend £100/week in a room where you will never have your deposit back (Jersey is all about Lanlord, you rent, you have no right). I Have moved more than 15 times in 10years to tell you how much accommodation is a disgrace over here. Good jobs aren’t available if you have not been here 5 years. Use to be 20 Years before you can get your qualies And you are talking about racism towards Jersey people.
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23 Vicky
Social security is disgrace. Cant afford dental treatment. You don’t even get enough money to pay a basic rent when you are off sick. And you are complaining that you can’t tax enough people who can’t afford to pay them. Why not tax the rich instead??? No , because they wouldn’t come otherwise. In 13 years i had about 3 weeks off sick (cant afford to be sick over here) and people working in Banks call in sick because they have an hangover, back pain, or migraine… We all know that Polish , Portuguese are here to do the rubbish jobs that you would not consider doing. You pay them the minimum wage, so the rich can get richer…
I know who is hard working hard and who isn’t.
May be we should look at stoping, health care, pension and overrated wages for people working for the states and give it to pensioners.
I fell off my chair when I knew how much a nurse was getting paid….
I rely on Social only and I know that I will be freezing to death like all this poor pensioner once I retire.
You also talk about Polish girl with babies looking for jobs, obviously you won’t find all the 16 year old Jersey girl with 2 babies in there as they can suck up all your tax money and stay at home
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“But let’s have the debate once only and then move on.”
A fascinating concept and one that has never occurred to any member of the States past or present.
The same topics are endlessly thrashed over again, again, etc, etc.
We have had casino debates for over a hundred years, think of it, people have been born, grown up, been elected to the States, retired from the house, grown old and died and this old chestnut still reliably returns to the house!
No wonder Jersey democracy is a beacon for the world supported by paragons like Real Truthseeker
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Jay Black
I understand your frustration – it must be difficult indeed having no residential qualifications, as even with them it’s virtually impossible to get on the property ladder unless you either have an inheritance or are prepared to work 70 hours per week for 10 years to save enough just for the deposit.
However, what I do not understand, and I would ask you to explain, is why you stay here when the situation is so so bad? I mean, my family and I are moving to Canada next year as there is no viability in remaining here even as it is, and it’s sure to get a lot worse yet. I really can’t see why anyone stays, other than those who either own their own houses or are just living off the system and have no worries.
Yes we have scenery, but so do many places. Where there was once charm and community spirit there is now only overpopulation with all the problems that brings, affordable housing is just the tip of the iceberg. The one and only good thing I can see about Jersey is that it’s still relatively safe, compared to some other places – but then under the same analogy, Liverpool is still safe compared to New York, doesn’t mean I’d want to live there either.
So maybe I’m missing something (grass is always greener etc) so please, Jay Black or someone, explain to me why on earth you stay here..?
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Perhasp they should have inflation proofed their investments earlier in life. Ensured they were self-funded retirees by getting some enterprise about them.
If a person chooses not to excel in their life, and rather sit around up the pub during their life, spending money, when others save, and self-fund their investments, why shoudl every one else now shell out to help them?
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Mr Sensible-I don’t think many, if any, Portuguese people lost their lives in the Second World War as Portugal remained neutral throughout.
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