Older people are reaching ‘breaking point' as a result of the austerity measures they have had to withstand in recent years, Age Action Ireland (AAI) has warned.

According to the national charity, the effect of cuts in services combined with rising costs have been ‘severely damaging' to vulnerable older people.

It carried out a national consultation in March and described the results as ‘shocking'.

"We had older people telling us how they were going to bed in the early evening to stay warm, using hot water bottles to stay warm rather than turning on their heating, or seriously considering the option of getting rid of their pet cat because they could no longer afford to feed it," explained the charity's spokesperson, Eamon Timmins.

He said that while successive governments have made commitments to protect the most vulnerable members of our society, ‘we must see evidence of that in the forthcoming October budget'.

"The upshot is that people are being forced into making very difficult decisions as to what to pay for, and what to do without," Mr Timmins said.

The charity pointed out that previous austerity budgets have not just led to financial pressures, they have also ‘curtailed access to essential health services and transport services, which have undermined older people's resilience against austerity'.

In a pre-Budget submission, it makes 32 recommendations covering a range of areas, including health, taxation, transport and energy poverty.

These recommendations include:
-An increase in funding for vital community services, such as home care packages and meals on wheels
-Maintenance of the Free Travel Scheme as a universal benefit for all those over the age of 65
-A reversal of the cuts to the Household Benefits Package that were introduced as part of Budget 2013
-A property tax exemption for households with an income of under €12,000 per year
-No cuts to the Carer's Allowance and Respite Grant.