The Government has been called on to increase the State pension by €10.50/week and other financial supports to older people in retirement in Budget 2022.

ALONE, the organisation that supports older people, has said that an income of over €286 is needed to prevent pensions falling below the poverty line.

The current non-contributory State pension stands at a rate of €237 per week.

“Pensions are somehow still falling below the poverty line, despite the fact that as a country we can afford to pay pensions to ensure an adequate standard of living; this is something that must be accounted for in the next budget to protect older people from living in poverty,” stated ALONE CEO Seán Moynihan.

Telephone support

ALONE has called for an increase of €10.50 to be made in the 2022 budget to safeguard the elderly from poverty, while an increase of €5 to €7.50 in the telephone support allowance was also proposed by the group.

“The income gap between the State pension and the amount needed to live above the poverty line is concerning, particularly as our older population is expected to grow from 640,000 to 1.1 million by the year 2030,” he added.

The organisation has also recommended that the Department of Social Protection triple-lock pensions at 35% of average weekly earnings, 2.5% annually or the rate of inflation, depending on which metric proves the greatest each year.

Technology allowance

ALONE pushed for the consideration of a €250 older person technology grant to allow for the purchase of health devices, home alarms or smartphones by the elderly.

“We have seen key services, such as banks and social welfare, either close their offices or move totally online and now operate from a ‘digital-first’ approach.

"This has widened the digital divide and those without skills to use online services and technology are being left behind. Budget 2022 must reduce the digital divide."