The Many Roads To Ruin.

The so called Budget which did not help pensioners in what it did, and the continued inaction by the UK Government, over the cost of living, is fuelling destitution.

There are now pensioners out there, saying that in this climate, they can never use their heating, cooker, fridge or freezer again, they just cant afford it.Government has confirmed higher prices on energy in October coming, another rise on stretched pensions , which are now nowhere near enough. I did a calculation of weekly costs, and found that I needed ￡290 a week, just to feed myself, and pay energy bills, and put petrol in the car.It also included my weekly rent, which is normally paid monthly. This means that after I am paid my pension, I have to leave enough in the bank over that whole month, to pay my rent every 28 days. To do that , I cant buy food, and all the other things for that 4 weeks.I share my home, if I did not, I would starve. Most pensioners now are lone pensioners.This means they have the same problem I have , if they pay rent, or Mortgage.This also means, thousands have literally pocket money, to feed themselves with, which is just a few pounds.Some pensioners have come forward and admitted they have ￡5 a week left for food. Some do have a little more, but as prices continue to rise, this is fast becoming an emergency situation. An MP tried to tell us all that we can feed ourselves on 30 pence.His calculations were based on bulk cooking, and making stews, dividing it up and freezing it, to eat another day. He of course forgot that many now have no freezers! He also did not understand that people are literally refusing to use cookers, for fear of the bill.Never mind bulk cooking for many hours, large amounts of food, to be divided up into individual meals. I realise that we could all gather together in one street and share, but that maybe impossible, due to lack of neighbour, knowing others neighbours well enough. Or because of where they live. Many older people moved out of cities, as a form of retirement, many now live in small flats or cottages , which they do own, but now in the winter, cannot afford to heat, and in todays" situation, they are also unable to afford petrol to drive to buy food, let alone cook it and refrigerate it. Their small village is without a shop. They then fall into the asset rich, cash poor group.Even the food bank is too far away to get to!

While of course there are many variations on why pensioners, and others, cant manage on the money they get, it is getting worse, not better, and this is going to become far worse than it is, unless government do the one thing they have so far refused to do, raise both benefits, and pensions inline with prices.A good and important point is also those people on diets for medical reasons, like Gluten allergy, I am unable to eat gluten myself, and my bread is around the ￡4 mark.If I want to buy anything that is ready made, or ingredients, I must buy gluten free, that doubles the price for most items. Anyone needing any diet which is free of something, it maybe a nut free diet, or something else, but food made which conforms to these allergy exclusions, are quite literally, now outside the purse of those who need them. Meanwhile ALL prices for everything are going up.Government , unless they do something which provides an all year round uplift, to pensioners, and, to many other groups, there are going to be many deaths. Not just from lack of food, but from desperation, as people end their lives,and from those with illnesses that require costly remedy, diet and medicines. If you cannot afford to get yourself to hospital for ongoing treatments, it is obvious what will happen. This is another group suffering, disabled and sick.All of it tied tied to income, in one way or another. Only today, UK government froze the price of prescriptions, yet another example of financial suffering.They need to sit down and consider all the points I have just made, and do something, not just tinker round the edges.