Omagh man delighted to be getting the winter fuel payment back

LOCAL pensioners in Omagh have welcomed the decision by the British Government to reinstate vital winter fuel payments, which had been removed last year.

This winter, those born before September 1958 will receive payments totalling between £200 and £300.

The payment was removed as a cost-cutting measure last year, but confirmation of its return was made this week in the House of Commons.

Under the new scheme, the majority of pensioners will receive £200 if they are under 80 and £300 if they are over 80.

At the Campsie Over 50s club in Omagh, the decision was warmly welcomed. Members said that the renewed payment would help them budget more effectively this winter and avoid some of the difficult cutbacks they had to make last year.

Kenneth Smith, who will be 75 in August and lives in Festival Park, described the decision to reinstate the payment as ‘long overdue’ after the challenges many faced without it last winter.

“My wife died last January. She had cancer and prior to her death needed the heating on all day.

“It was very difficult, both emotionally and financially, so I’m really glad to see the allowance back again,” he said.

“I got £100 last year, but that was a lot less than before. I tried to cut back so we’d have more money for heating because of my wife. It was definitely tough for us – we cut back on shopping and stopped going out for Sunday lunch. Every time we got the money in previous years, it went straight to buying oil.”

Martha Gibson, aged 85 and from Watson Park, also welcomed the payment. She said people like her had to simply ‘manage’ without it last year.

“I definitely missed the payment when I was buying oil – I had to take the money out of my savings,” she said.

“Thankfully, I managed. I just had to do without. I gave up my caravan, which I definitely missed because it meant I couldn’t go on holidays.

“It was worrying when the money was withdrawn, but I just had to survive. My hope is that the money this year will let me fill the tank more fully with oil and maybe go away on a wee trip. It will be a good help because people were finding things difficult.”

Shirley Halkyard, treasurer of the Campsie Over 50s club, said that the group provides a warm, welcoming place for elderly people in the area, meaning they don’t have to heat their own homes during that time.

“A lot of people are confined and isolated, so coming into the club helps them to get out and meet people. They get a hot meal, we play games, and it helps everyone’s mental health,” she said.

““Many of them simply don’t have the money to heat their homes. I know I had to throw a blanket over myself, and I’m sure that many others here had to do the same.

“I wasn’t eligible for the heating allowance last year and I definitely missed it. Having that money will give people like me a bit of financial breathing space. The price of oil is fairly low at the moment, but it’s guaranteed to go sky-high again in the autumn and winter.

“What we also have to remember is that a lot of people here don’t have private pensions. The pension they get is probably the minimum, and then suddenly they weren’t getting the extra winter fuel payment. There’s huge relief now that the money is coming back.”