Death by Poverty
It was a chilly night. Winter was coming and there was nothing she could do about it. She pushed her wheelchair next to her bed and eased herself onto the mattress. She could still walk with help, but it was much easier to move around the small apartment with the chair. She lit the candle on her nightstand. It had been two months since the company had turned off service. Nights now came early. To save on candles she went to bed soon after nightfall. It was warmer there, too. When the electricity had been cut off, so had the heat, as her heaters were electric.
The old woman fell asleep. For the last time. A small movement against the nightstand knocked off the candle, and the covers caught fire.
This happened last Monday in Reus, Tarragona. An elderly woman who couldn't pay the light bill had her electricity cut off and was using candles for light in the evenings. She had no one except a niece who came over from time to time, herself with plenty of problems. The woman's pension was not enough, and she decided to eat instead of paying some bills. The city's social services called her case "difficult," because the woman, proud, only accepted help to pay her water bill, but had rejected all other help, such as a home visitor. She had never asked for help to pay the electric bill. As a result, she died early Tuesday from the fire caused by the candle she had lit by her bed.
The autonomous region of Catalunya has a law that requires all utility companies to check with local social services before cutting off the utility from unpaid bills. If the family is at risk, a deal must be worked out so that the family does not lose a basic necessity, like running water, electricity, or gas. This time, the electric company didn't check and indirectly caused a death. People are outraged.
The major electric companies have benefits that rise into the hundreds of millions of euros a year. The electric bill has gone up fifty percent since 2008. Spain has the fifth highest electricity bill in Europe, with some of the lowest salaries. Yet, they will still cut off a family's electric supply for a debt of a couple hundred euros that keep that family from starvation or the street.
What will be done about this? Not much. For a short time, perhaps, the electric companies will check with the local Social Services before cutting service, but little else. Not all families in need ask for help, either. Some are too proud, others have no idea of where to go. Cutbacks have left some cities and towns with the bare bones of social nets for the poorest. The European Union is still calling for Spain to reduce public spending by five billion euros. Who always pays? Not the rich.
The old woman fell asleep. For the last time. A small movement against the nightstand knocked off the candle, and the covers caught fire.
This happened last Monday in Reus, Tarragona. An elderly woman who couldn't pay the light bill had her electricity cut off and was using candles for light in the evenings. She had no one except a niece who came over from time to time, herself with plenty of problems. The woman's pension was not enough, and she decided to eat instead of paying some bills. The city's social services called her case "difficult," because the woman, proud, only accepted help to pay her water bill, but had rejected all other help, such as a home visitor. She had never asked for help to pay the electric bill. As a result, she died early Tuesday from the fire caused by the candle she had lit by her bed.
The autonomous region of Catalunya has a law that requires all utility companies to check with local social services before cutting off the utility from unpaid bills. If the family is at risk, a deal must be worked out so that the family does not lose a basic necessity, like running water, electricity, or gas. This time, the electric company didn't check and indirectly caused a death. People are outraged.
The major electric companies have benefits that rise into the hundreds of millions of euros a year. The electric bill has gone up fifty percent since 2008. Spain has the fifth highest electricity bill in Europe, with some of the lowest salaries. Yet, they will still cut off a family's electric supply for a debt of a couple hundred euros that keep that family from starvation or the street.
What will be done about this? Not much. For a short time, perhaps, the electric companies will check with the local Social Services before cutting service, but little else. Not all families in need ask for help, either. Some are too proud, others have no idea of where to go. Cutbacks have left some cities and towns with the bare bones of social nets for the poorest. The European Union is still calling for Spain to reduce public spending by five billion euros. Who always pays? Not the rich.
Such a sad story...
ReplyDelete