Quarter of people with chronic health problems cannot afford to heat homes – CSO

Almost a quarter of households with a person with a chronic health condition said they are unable to keep their home warm enough, according to new figures.

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) on Monday published figures that indicate poverty rates are higher among households which include a person aged over 16 with long-standing health problems.

The statistics indicate that 27.4% of that cohort are at risk of poverty and 24% are unable to afford to buy clothes that are not second-hand, which compares with 10.1% and 6.8% of those who are not limited, respectively.

It also found that 22.8% of households with a person who was severely limited in their usual activities because of an illness could not keep their home adequately warm – compared with 5.4% of those who do not have a chronic condition.

Around 21% of these households also reported that at least once in the past year they failed to pay a utility bill on time due to financial difficulties.

The corresponding figure for not-limited households was three times lower, at 7%.

A further 19.4% of respondents said they were unable to afford to meet family and friends once a month for a meal or a drink compared with 7.8% of those who do not have a health issue.

The poverty indicators by heath status is the latest batch of annual statistics from the CSO’s Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC) 2022.

Figures released previously found that 13.1% of people were at risk of poverty in 2022, compared with 11.6% in 2021.

The self-reported survey carried out in 2022 includes 4,660 households, incorporating 11,393 individuals.