Living ‘cheque to cheque’
Lorraine (50s), a mother of four, has been told she has to be out of her rented property, where she has lived since 2015, by summertime.
“My landlord is nice. We had planned to stay here, but he was on a tracker mortgage and couldn’t sustain it, so they have to sell. They have no option. Now we have to find somewhere to live by June,” the healthcare worker said.
Despite “looking everywhere”, Lorraine hasn’t been able to find anything suitable.
“I’ve searched as far away as Leitrim and Meath, but there are five houses to rent in that area. I’m always looking but people never come back to me. I’m paying €900 at present, which is okay but when I started renting in 2015 it was €550. The cheapest I can see now is €1,100.”
Prior to entering the rented market, Lorraine’s marriage broke down. She too claims to have been a victim of domestic abuse. She left the marital home claiming the situation was “intolerable” and the property was later repossessed.
“When I tell people about it they say Jeremy Kyle would have enough material for several shows out of me. The banks sold the house but I still owe money on it, so I have a bad credit rating and I can’t get credit for anything. I had no savings and had no other option but to rent.
“My landlord gave us the option of buying it but I have no money and live cheque to cheque... I’m not entitled to any benefits.”
In order to save money to contribute towards a place to live, Lorraine says she is cutting back in all areas of her life.
“I don’t have a TV or telephone anymore. I was helping my daughter in university, so I cut back on how much help I’m giving her. I stopped paying pet insurance for our family pets. Grocery shopping is cut to the bone. Last night I had porridge for dinner. I do a big shop and make it last for two weeks instead of one.”
Despite being at the top pay scale in a job that many would perceive as well-paid, Lorraine says it is still a struggle.
Her children are all in third level education but don’t get grants.
“I was above the threshold. I’m caught in the middle of everything. The whole system needs to change. In Ireland, you have to be super poor to get help or super rich so you don’t need it. I went to a few services, but they showed me stuff like budgeting, but I already know how to do this,” says a frustrated Lorraine.
Her daughter was forced to leave the country due to the cost of living crisis and now Lorraine can’t afford to visit her, or her grand daughter.
She also says they are likely to be forced to give up their pets.
“We have family pets, we’ve had some for a long time and now we may have to rehome them because most landlords don’t accept pets. It may seem like a small thing but it’s heartbreaking for us and adds to all of the other pressure we are under.”