Dickson Dismayed by Reality of Cost-of-Living Crisis for Many Vulnerable Households Across NI

East Antrim Alliance MLA, Stewart Dickson, has voiced his dismay at a recent Consumer Council study that revealed the most vulnerable households in Northern Ireland are left with as little as £29 a week after bills and living costs.

Mr Dickson said: “As we are now in mid-October, the expensive bills that we were forewarned about during the summer, have become a reality.

“What’s different about this year, is that many families who have never struggled financially before, are experiencing real trouble for the first time. For the already vulnerable, their situation has become desperate”.

Whilst Mr Dickson accepted that the cost-of-living crisis is a national, if not international, crisis, he explained that Northern Ireland is in a unique position.

He said: “In Northern Ireland, a large proportion of our citizens live with high levels of debt, less cash savings, and lower levels of financial capability and confidence in managing their money. Comparatively, more of our income comes from social securities; we have higher levels of economic inactivity, more rurality, and around two thirds of our households rely on home heating oil. And on top of that, we do not have a functioning Executive”.

Indeed, the Consumer Council has revealed that between January and March this year, Northern Ireland’s lowest earning households, with an average annual income of £12,200, had just £29 per week left after paying their bills and living costs. The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) estimated that in April 2022, 316,000 citizens in Northern Ireland were living in relative poverty, which shows the scale of this crisis.

In July 2022, the cost of home heating oil was an average 113% higher than a year ago and nearly double the ten-year average price. The situation is even more stark for gas consumers with the average annual regulated supplier gas bill in Greater Belfast increasing by 165% between January 2021 and July 2022.The current estimates from the University of York show that almost 72% of Northern Ireland will be in fuel poverty by 2023 (551,000 households).

Mr Dickson concluded by saying: “Hard-working families and vulnerable members of society alike are facing fuel poverty, increased destitution, and a lowered standard of living. The issue of self-disconnection will increase, as will debt and financial difficulties. Not to mention people – including children – going hungry, living in cold homes, and relying not just on food banks but now warm banks as well”.