South Armagh residents not qualifying for home heating oil scheme nonsensical
Residents left upset and angered after receiving notice that they don’t qualify for heating oil scheme
THE situation whereby residents of independent living accommodation in Crossmaglen, Keady, and other parts of the north are not qualifying for the £100 Home Heating Oil Support Scheme voucher because they live in what is known as ‘sheltered housing’ is as outrageous as it is nonsensical.
That’s the assessment of Aontú representative for Slieve Gullion, Liam Reichenberg, who says residents have been “left upset and angered after receiving notice that they don’t qualify.
“Residents of Radius accommodation in Corliss Fold, Crossmaglen and Lir Fold, Keady, contacted me after notices went up informing them that they were not entitled to the vouchers under the criteria set by Minister Gordon Lyons and the Department for Communities.” said Liam
“They were shell-shocked and baffled and that’s totally understandable as many of the residents in Corliss and Lir Folds are the very people this Voucher Scheme was devised to help.
They qualify in every way financially and really need this help, but they are being left out and rejected because of where they live.”
“They live in self-contained apartments in ‘Independent living accommodation’ and must fend for themselves. They pay the full cost of heating the apartment building including common areas, divided between them, unsubsidised and in full. That the buildings have a single oil tank seems to disqualify them too, yet how else would such buildings operate?” asks Mr Reichenberg.
“I have seen the separate charges residents have to pay and heating is no cheaper for them than it is for the rest of us. A £100 voucher might not seem like much to some, but for someone trying to make a limited income or a pension stretch to cover their bills, it can make a real difference. With winter approaching and Christmas around the corner, the last thing residents need is to be worrying about whether they can afford to keep their homes warm”.
”At the launch of the Voucher Scheme in early September Minister Gorgon Lyons stated that “The digital pre-paid card will go some way to meeting the challenge of rising fuel costs and will benefit those who need it most as we head into the colder months.”
Mr Reichenberg is now challenging the minister and department to review the criteria as a matter of urgency.
“This is a blatant injustice and one we in Aontú are going to do all we can to overturn. I have written to the minister and department seeking an urgent review of the criteria to correct what I believe to be a serious mistake. It is my understanding that it is entirely possible to correct this if the good will is there.”