This week’s cold snap has heaped further pressure on cash-strapped low-income workers who were already struggling to keep up with spiralling energy costs – forcing many to choose between heat or food.

That’s according to St Vincent de Paul which is reporting more and more calls from desperate workers who didn’t feel the benefit of the Government’s cost-of-living Budget.

Marie O’Donovan from SVP Galway told the Connacht Tribune that those workers – a group that includes many young families and students – were being pushed “to the pin of their collar” to keep the heating on as temperatures dipped as far as minus ten degrees last night (Wednesday).

“They didn’t get anything from the Budget and now, they’re really struggling.

“People are living on very limited budgets. Even though they’re working, they haven’t enough to cover their energy costs and pay for creches – the last thing they can think of is food so you have people going without,” said Ms O’Donovan.

Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.