ALONE Survey Reveals Deep Financial Struggles For Older People Ahead of Budget 2026

One of Ireland’s leading charities for older people has issued a stark warning to the Government following the release of its annual cost of living survey. ALONE, which supports older people to age at home, says many older individuals are living in financial hardship and urgently need stronger support in Budget 2026.

The organisation’s latest survey, the largest of its kind ALONE has ever conducted, shows a growing crisis among Ireland’s ageing population, with older people struggling to cope with rising utility costs, food bills, and housing expenses.

“The message we’re getting from the over 43,000 older people we support is simple: older people can’t wait,” said ALONE CEO Seán Moynihan. “They can’t wait for action on the cost of living, on housing, or on knowing how they’ll heat their homes this winter.”

According to ALONE, one in three people assessed by the organisation cite financial stress as a significant challenge. The charity shared powerful testimony from older people, including one respondent who said they have stopped eating meat and go to bed early to save on heating costs. Others spoke of the constant pressure of juggling weekly bills and hiding financial stress from their partners.

Moynihan described the current situation as “an emergency budget scenario” for many older people, warning that inflation may have stabilised, but prices remain too high for those on fixed incomes.

Key Demands in ALONE’s Prebudget Submission

ALONE’s prebudget submission includes a call for a series of urgent measures, including:

• A €22 increase in the State pension in 2026 with full pension benchmarking introduced in 2027
• Increases of €20 to the Fuel Allowance, €10 to the Living Alone Allowance, and €7.50 to the Telephone Support Allowance
• The creation of a Commissioner for Older People
• A €10 million fund to support older people experiencing energy poverty

Research cited in the submission from the CSO and SILC shows that 45.6 percent of older people living alone would have been at risk of poverty last year without temporary cost of living supports.

Beyond immediate measures, ALONE is also calling for medium term investments in housing, healthcare, and social services:

• Annual delivery of 1,474 universal design social housing units, including 103 Housing with Support units, until 2040
• A €12.5 million increase in Housing Adaptation Grant funding to help prevent falls
• A fully funded National Action Plan to address loneliness and isolation
• A €20 million investment in transport services to improve access to day care
• €25.6 million to expand acute mental healthcare for older adults
• €3 million to support the rollout of the Statutory Home Support Scheme

A Growing Crisis for an Ageing Nation

Moynihan emphasised that older people are increasingly vulnerable, particularly those in poor health, facing high rents, or living alone. “They visit GPs twice as often as the national average, and they’re seven times more likely to need to go to A and E,” he said. “We see daily the impact that inadequate support can have, not just on older people’s financial security, but on their physical and mental well being.”

Calling for political urgency, Moynihan concluded: “It’s time to get serious about supporting our older population. These aren’t future problems, they’re happening now.”