Pensioner Weighs Up The Cost Benefits Of Being Dead

TAKING into account the rising cost of heating her home during the winter combined with her growing list of medications and prescriptions, one Dublin pensioner is starting to think it might be better for her budget if she were to die sometime soon.

Margaret Jennings, 85, has weathered the last few years of austerity as best she can, but is fairly sure this winter will push her finances completely into the red.

The Phibsboro native is doing her best on her state pension as well as her various allowances, but outgoing expenses have exceeded incoming revenue for the latter part of Q3 2105, suggesting a lean Q4 with little or no hope of turning a profit until well into 2016.

“Every day is just such a struggle,” sighed Jennings, whose husband of 65 years passed away this summer. “Losing Jim in August was a huge blow to daily operations, and cash flow is at an all time low. It’s times like these that you have to take a long hard look at your holdings and ask yourself if it’s really worth it. If the receivers came in tomorrow morning and shut the whole thing down, I’d probably count it as a blessing”.

Dozens of failing elderly operations are due to be shut down for good this winter, unless investment is raised by their local communities.