Jan 9, 2014:

Active Retirement Ireland Slams 'Underhanded' Move to Cut Housing Grants

Active Retirement Ireland Slams "Underhanded" Move to Cut Housing Grants

The country's largest community-based older people's organisation, Active Retirement Ireland (ARI), has today (9/1/2014) criticised the Government for cuts to housing adaptation grants which were introduced this year without any announcement. The organisation's chief executive Maureen Kavanagh said that they had been contacted by concerned members who are confused and worried about the status of their applications for such grants.

"It's galling that this has been sprung on older people without any announcement or contact from either the Government or local authorities," Ms. Kavanagh said, "Many of our members have been waiting for these grants for some time now, and shifting the goalposts without telling them seems to be an underhanded tactic."

Changes to housing aid grant for older people will mean a cut of the maximum amount from €10,000 to €8,000 and applicants will now have to be at least 66-years-old rather than 60. The housing adaptation grant for disabled people and the mobility aids grant will also see cutbacks. Income bands are being reduced and those in the lowest band of €30,000 a year or less will now be asked to contribute 5 per cent of the costs themselves.

"While we understand that the cost of providing these grants is quite high," Ms. Kavanagh said, "these cuts will disproportionately affect the poorest older people, who will now be asked to contribute 5 per cent of the costs. This could backfire on the Government in a big way, as older people who can't afford to contribute to the adaptation of their homes will be forced to occupy hospital or long-stay care beds at an even higher cost to the taxpayer."

Ms. Kavanagh also said the move was contrary to the aims of the Government's National Positive Ageing Strategy, which was published in 2013. "These changes and cuts fly in the face of the National Positive Ageing Strategy, which has the stated aim of allowing as many older people as possible to remain in their own homes. If people on the lowest pensions cannot afford to contribute to these small grants, they will end up having to leave their homes. This could prove to be a very expensive mistake for the Government."

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