Catholic charity the Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) has said it is preparing for its toughest Christmas and New Year “in decades,” with its South-West branch reporting an increase in the number of calls for help from local people in counties Cork and Kerry.
SVP South-West, which caters for people across Cork and Kerry, say local people are facing “impossible choices” this Christmas, with the cost-of-living crisis pushing lower income earners further and further into the poverty trap. S
VP South-West says it experienced 1,150 calls for help per week in October – representing a 30 per cent increase on that time last year. Rising fuel prices, the crippling cost of energy, and unprecedented demand for food have all placed a severe strain on resources, the voluntary organisation said.
With the cost of essentials rising as Christmas fast approaches, the charity is reporting that more people than ever are seeking help in the run up to the festive period, with mounting calls every week, making it their most demanding Christmas and winter period in several decades. According to the charity, more people than ever are being forced to choose between heating their homes or feeding themselves or their families this year.
SVP South-West said calls for help in the South-West are expected to reach a peak of 1,400 calls per week this month with the Society has revealed significant numbers of people are reaching out to them seeking assistance as they struggle to cope with sky-high energy costs, increased prices for fuel and dramatic rises in the price of food.
The charity has also revealed that the most significant increase in calls this year is coming from lower-income earners in full-time employment.
SVP South-West Regional co-ordinator Gerry Garvey, speaking at the recent launch of their Annual Car Draw, said calls are coming in from people from all walks of life.
“We have received an unprecedented number of calls for this time of year and from all walks of life, including but not limited to; pensioners and social welfare parents, carers and those on disability payments, and those on lower-paid employment,” he said.
“Energy costs are the primary concern for callers, with SVP providing fuel assistance to families and vulnerable individuals in Cork and Kerry during the winter months. The price of a bag of coal has almost doubled this year – it may even increase again, and this has really put a strain on our reserve funds for the year”, Mr. Garvey added.
“Energy costs are crippling, but unfortunately that’s not the only issue, the rising cost of food has also impacted our funds, and we need to ensure that we increase the food vouchers we provide in accordance with the cost of living and these heightened food prices”, he added.
Mr Garvey said the cost of everyday living is driving people to despair.
“The overriding theme we are seeing this year is that, in addition to struggling and vulnerable people, the cost-of-living crisis is pushing full-time lower income workers further into poverty and we are receiving calls from people who are in despair every day because they are struggling massively to cope with basic living expenses”, he remarked.
It comes as the charity’s traditional church collections were finally allowed to resume this year post-Covid pandemic. Regional President Paddy O’Flynn said that while the charity has been “blown away” by support for its fundraising efforts, including its Annual Car Draws, huge pressure has been placed on the charity’s core services.
“The numbers of people who require our assistance this year are unprecedented, people are being forced to make an impossible choice this Christmas – heat or eat, and the funds raised from the Annual Car Draw this year are vital to us to enable us to help as many people as possible,” he said.
While SVP is not a homeless charity, it works behind the scenes to prevent people from losing their homes, and also acts as a “last resort” for students from socially disadvantaged backgrounds to provide funding and bursaries for their education. The charity says it has also been receiving more calls from students this year asking for help. SVP South West has also vowed to continue to provide thousands of homes in the area with regular coal deliveries throughout winter, along with hundreds of food hampers.
It comes after a UK debt charity voiced concerns that less than a quarter of Brits will be able to comfortably afford Christmas this year. StepChange said fewer than a quarter (24%) of people were in a comfortable financial position heading into the festive season, compared with nearly half (45%) in 2021, according to Sky News, with the charity warning that more people are turning to credit.
StepChange said it was worried about Christmas spending via credit products – with 61% of people surveyed in its YouGov survey planning to purchase festive items using a credit card.
Over a third surveyed said they expect to use their overdraft while 40% of borrowers intend to tap Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) providers.