How elderly people fared during the cost of living crisis

Coroners’ courts are now beginning to cover the deaths of those who died in the latter part of last year, when fuel prices were at an all-time high. 

On Friday (August 11), this newspaper heard the conclusion readings of inquests into the deaths of two elderly people who died in December, both of whom were living in homes with no heating.

Nicky Willshire, chief officer of Ipswich Citizens Advice, said she would not be surprised if more cases such as these come to light. 

She recalls telephoning struggling households to ask if they have space in their oil tanks to receive a ‘top-up’.

“That’s when you speak to people who live in quite frankly Dickensian conditions, who are walking around their village collecting wood because they haven’t been able to afford to fill up their tank,” she said.  

She remembers speaking to one older gentleman who struggled to cope after his wife died and fell behind with his electricity bill. Engineers arranged for him to have a pre-payment meter fitted – with the result being that he had to pay £30 a week just to boil his kettle.

Nicky Willshire is the chief officer of Ipswich Citizens Advice. Image: Gregg Brown (Image: Gregg Brown)

Nicky Willshire says that she has spoken to people living in 'Dickensian' conditions. Image: Dolly Carter (Image: Dolly Carter)

A huge obstacle facing preventing many older people asking for help, she said, is the fear that they will lose their independence if they appear unable to cope.

Older people also face what Ms Willshire terms ‘digital discrimination’, with many avenues of support only available online. Hearing difficulties may also prevent elderly people from calling telephone hotlines.

“There's such a push in such a rush for everything to be done online to save paper save time, save man hours, save costs, but ultimately, those costs can end up as lives,” said Ms Willshire.

Melanie Craig, chief executive of the Suffolk Community Foundation, agrees.

“The cases that have been highlighted are tragic, and should never have happened,” she said. “It should never happen in this age, but sadly, so many people are living in desperate need, without any sense of community around them.”

Each year, the Surviving Winter Appeal is launched, coordinated by the Suffolk Community Foundation, Citizens Advice Ipswich and Suffolk County Council's 'Warm Homes Healthy People' project.

The vast majority of those who use the service are single income households and aged over 65.

Melanie Craig is the chief executive of the Suffolk Community Foundation. Image: Charlotte Bond (Image: Charlotte Bond)

Arthur Tickridge from Haverhill

Senior coroner for Suffolk Nigel Parsley said that Mr Tickridge’s death was linked to the rising cost of living.

Mr Tickridge died aged 96 in Addenbrookes hospital last year. He had been found on the floor of his Haverhill home by his son, who lived with Mr Tickridge. When he arrived at hospital, Mr Tickridge was found to be suffering from a chest infection, and was also hypothermic.

Mr Parsley said that, due to the cost of living, Mr Tickridge was not switching on his heating during the day.

Despite being given antibiotics and active warming methods, such as heated blankets, Mr Tickridge continued to deteriorate and died on December 19.

Mr Parsley recorded a conclusion of natural causes, contributed to by hypothermia as a result of living in an inadequately heated home.

Olive Cox from Lowestoft

Mrs Cox was 92 when she died on Christmas Day last year.

 At the time of her death, the only source of heating in the home Mrs Cox shared with her son was a condemned gas heater, their boiler having broken. This also left them without hot water.

In the days leading up to her death, the court heard that Mrs Cox had eaten nothing but cereal.

However, when she was admitted to the James Paget hospital on December 22, her son told clinicians that his mother had been “couch-bound” for three days and had refused food and drink. He dialed for an ambulance after she became unresponsive.

Mrs Cox’s health steadily declined, and she died on Christmas Day.

Presiding coroner Nigel Parsley recorded a conclusion of natural causes. Hypothermia was listed as one of several factors having contributed towards her death.