Cork waste provider Country Clean reduces old age pension waiver by €10
The company who took over Cork County Council's refuse service, Country Clean, has reduced the council's old age pension waiver by €10.
Callers to C103’s Cork Today Show received letters detailing how the waiver was going to be reduced.
In a statement to the show Country Clean said: “County Clean will be retaining 78% of the waiver for 2017 which is 100% funded by Country Clean as we have failed to get any funding to support the waiver.
"We've retained the waiver for the past 6 years and we'd like to thank our customers for their recognition of the fact and their continued support. For 2017 there is a reduction of €10 per quarter in the waiver, customers will retain 78% of their waiver for 2017. This reduction is due to overall increased costs (i.e. insurance alone increased by over 65%). The waiver will be review again in early 2018 for 2018."
A pensioner who wrote to C103’s Cork Today Show explained how the reduction was going to increase their hardship as they budget each week.
"I do envelopes every week, I put a little bit away for the ESB, the telephone, house insurance, health insurance, fuel, oil, property tax, refuse, car insurance, car tax, NCT and maintenance. By the way I'm only driving an old banger, but we need it, we need it in order to go to doctors appointments, or if we need to do a bit of shopping."
Cllr Kevin Murphy of Cork County Council’s Bandon/Kinsale area said thinks that Country Clean don't have a legal obligation to continue with the waiver system as they are a private company.
He said: "It's a pity that it would happen to them (pensioners)."
