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Amid rising living and housing costs, three residents lay bare lives on the brink as new figures show one in five Luxembourgers at risk of poverty and 13.4% of workers living below the line.
Madinatu Abdulrasheed, Virginie Schweger, and John Sinner all live in financial uncertainty for different reasons. In conversation with RTL, the three interviewees shared their everyday struggles and how they are affected by rising living and housing costs in Luxembourg. Their situations have been caused by illness, accidents or personal difficulties, landing them in precarious circumstances from which it is difficult to emerge.
Virginie Schweger, 54: How life can fall apart 'in an instant'
Virginie Schweger moved to Luxembourg from France at the age of 18, after which she pursued a career until a car accident at 32 left her partially disabled and turned her life upside down "in an instant". Months of recovery and paralysis left her with chronic pain, which has prevented her from returning to work.
She lives rent-free with a friend and helps to manage household and care duties. For almost a year, she relied on social benefits to cover her medical costs, and she purchased food at a social supermarket.
In August, she started receiving disability benefits, which have finally given her a feeling of stability. "As long as I don't need to pay rent, I can make ends meet", she says.
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Madinatu Abdulrasheed, 47: I'm in Europe but have 'nothing to offer to my children'
Originally from Nigeria, Madinatu Abdulrasheed lived comfortably in Luxembourg with her family until her divorce in 2017, which left her without work and with four boys to take care of alone. As she lacked the necessary qualifications and language skills to find work, she quickly became depressed and fell into financial difficulties.
"I'm in Europe but have nothing to offer to my children", she described her situation.
These days, she lives in social housing and receives benefits. She is working towards gaining her independence by running a café in Esch-sur-Alzette. "There was a time where I didn't believe I could make it", she says, "but now I do."
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John Sinner, 64: Feeling rejected as a Luxembourger
Since childhood, John Sinner has had to cope with instability. He grew up in foster care before moving in with relatives, and later struggled with addiction and spent time in prison. Eventually he found work, but a few months ago his health took a turn for the worse and he was signed off on sick leave.
Sinner lives in a room that is 14 square metres, with just a microwave to prepare meals. He shares a common bathroom and pays €900 a month for his accommodation. He dreams of living in social housing one day. "I feel like I'm not accepted in this society, and not supported by my own government", he says.
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Increasing numbers of singletons seeking aid
Luxembourg's poverty risk rate has been climbing steadily since 2005. It not only affects the homeless either. According to the Chamber of Employees' annual report, published earlier this month, one in five Luxembourgers is now at risk of poverty.
In addition, employment is not a guarantee of financial security, as one in seven people can be considered part of the "working poor". This means Luxembourg has the highest rate of working poor in the Eurozone, with 13.4% of employees living below the poverty line.
Laurence Koenn, director of social services at the Red Cross, explains: "Rising living costs, the housing crisis, and the energy crisis all contribute to putting families in difficult situations. It's not just a case of unemployment either, as many people with jobs are struggling to make ends meet."
Since 2019, the Red Cross has seen a 26% uptick in requests for support from its social services. A growing number of these are from singletons in need of help, as well as single parents and large families.
"We see young people at the start of their careers who have to cover costs for rent and their vehicles, as well as older people living off their pensions and struggling to pay for everything. In general, more people living alone now need support", says Nathalie Bley, deputy director of social services at the Red Cross.
What support is there for people in need?
In recent years, the government has introduced a number of programmes to help financially vulnerable families, with subsidies for healthcare, high cost of living allowance, housing benefits, rent subsidies, and heating allowances.
Eligibility requirements can be checked on Guichet.lu, with calculators to work out the amount of potential support, as well as available forms to complete.
Last year, a study commissioned by the Chamber of Employees found that around 80% of people eligible for rent subsidies have not applied, and 40% of people eligible for high cost of living allowance have not made use of the support. The main reasons for this are believed to be lack of information, difficulty in completing forms, and the stigma of claiming benefits.
Ask for help before it's too late
Welfare offices are available to supply information on existing programmes and eligibility criteria, as well as other support mechanisms.
"The Red Cross offers support across different areas", explains Bley. "This ranges from help for students in applying for financial support, or helping older people find a care home, or helping with administrative matters, or searching for somewhere to live. People come to us so we can check their case and work out what documents they need, what information they're missing, and how we can help them get assistance."
75% of the support offered by the Red Cross is administrative, while the rest is financial, including help with medical bills, access to social supermarkets, and support with living costs such as rent. "Anyone can ask welfare offices for help, whether it's financial or not", says Koenn, who further advises: "Don't wait until you're in dire circumstances to ask for help. Everyone needs help at some point. The service isn't just for people in poverty, it's for everybody."
