Warnings of the worst UK recession in a century and the threat of further Tory cuts to state spending and benefits has left London’s older Irish community fearful about the months ahead
For years, this lunch was a way for older Irish people, including the single and the widowed, to socialise and enjoy a hot meal. Now, as soaring food, electricity and gas bills eat into pensions and savings, it is serving other purposes: it helps reduce household bills and will be a warm shelter during the winter months.
The retired accountant is worried about what spending the Conservative government led by new prime minister Rishi Sunak might cut when the Tories reveal their fiscal plan on November 17th to fill the £50 billion black hole left by Liz Truss’s disastrous premiership. “They will make cuts where they can; the Tories have been cutting things for the last 12 years - there are not many more cuts they can make,” he said, referring to how long the party has been in power.
In a back office, Nora Mulready, chief executive of the IEAN, says older people are regularly coming in with “unmanageable” gas or electricity bills that have jumped “from two to three digits.” The bills are a shock for these “settled, older Irish people” who emigrated from a “less wealthy Ireland” decades ago; “they know where every pound is going in the week or month.”
In the hall, Finnegan has heard talk of the “heat or eat” choice that some older people will face this winter. This is a concern for other charities.
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