Almost €3,000 donated in support of Laois widow

Almost €3,000 was raised in support of an elderly Laois widow who paid an ESB bill with savings for her late husband’s headstone.  

A GoFundMe page was set up after the woman’s financial situation was revealed in the Dail in May. 

The page, which aimed to raise €500 to help the elderly woman, was set up by Callum Smyth. 

“As raised today in the Dáil by Sorca Clarke TD (Sinn Féin), a widow in Laois was recently refused an Additional Needs Payment to help cover her extortionate Energy Bills, because she has savings in her account which were for her late husband's headstone,” he wrote when he set up the page in May. 

"Teachta Clarke told the Dáil: I want to tell you about one lady's recent experience of this crisis, an elderly lady in Laois living alone after her husband sadly passed away last year

She received an electricity bill for €760, a colossal amount of money that she simply cannot afford.

She applied for an Additional Needs Payment to help cover the cost. Shockingly, she was refused support.

Why? Because she has a small amount put away from her pension over the last year saved for a headstone for her late husband's grave.

Because of that refusal for help, she was forced to spend the money on the electricity bill instead of the headstone.

Minister, her husband's anniversary is approaching and she is distraught that she will not have a headstone for his grave on time.

When her family called around to visit her last night, they found her sitting in the dark, terrified of switching on the lights, worried sick about what the next bill might be and when these nightmare costs are going to end,” he wrote. 

This fundraiser has been set up to hopefully cover the cost for this elderly lady. Any money that you can put towards it would be very much appreciated. Thank you very much," Mr Smyth wrote. 

Signs in disarray around Laois bridge make it unsafe

Since the page was set up 58 donations totalling €2,930 have been made on the page. The fundraising page also included an update: 

“[UPDATE] - As per the family's wishes, the funds raised here will be sent to Irish Cancer Society,” Mr Smyth posted. 

Mr Smyth didn’t respond when messaged though the GoFundMe page by the Leinster Express.