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PENSIONERS IN FUEL POVERTY MORE THAN DOUBLED IN 4 YEARS
AGE Concern is
urging Alistair Darling to put pensioners living in fuel poverty at
the top of his Budget priorities. The number of older people in fuel
poverty is likely to have more than doubled in the last 4 years
alone. New estimates from the charity put the number of pensioner
households living in fuel poverty now at 2.25 million, with an
estimated 250,000 pensioner households pushed into fuel poverty by
the price rises this year.
Older people are the group most at risk of fuel poverty and account
for around 50% of households affected. Pensioners have faced a
cocktail of increases to the cost of living this year with hikes in
energy, food, water and Council Tax bills. Age Concern is worried
that these increasing financial pressures may cause many older
people to potentially put their health at risk, by limiting their
heating and food shopping to cut back on costs.
At the same time that
pensioners are facing huge hikes in their cost of living the real
value of the state pension and Winter Fuel Payment are decreasing.
The government has failed to increase the £200 Winter Fuel Payment
since it was first paid 8 years ago, despite huge increases in fuel
costs. The government has committed to re-establishing the link
between the state pension and earnings by the end of the next
Parliament. However unless the date to re-introduce the link is
brought forward, the state pension will only be worth £81 in
relation to today’s earnings by 2012.
Gordon Lishman, Director General of Age Concern, said:- “It is
a disgrace that there are now likely to be well over two million
older households living in fuel poverty. The recent huge hikes in
energy prices have been a very hard blow to many of the poorest
pensioners and have pushed thousands more into fuel poverty.
Urgent action needs to be taken to address this problem. The Winter
Fuel Payment must go up by at least £100. We also need to see more
money for energy efficiency schemes, and energy companies being made
to offer meaningful social tariffs.
The introduction of the state pension in the Budget 100 years ago
was a major financial breakthrough for older people. The challenge
for this Chancellor’s Budget is to tackle pensioner fuel poverty as
one of the biggest financial issues currently facing today’s
pensioners.”
Higher energy charges for customers with pre-payment meters penalise
the poorest and government action on this issue would be extremely
welcome. However fuel poverty is a huge issue for pensioners, which
needs to be tackled in several ways to provide an effective solution
to lift the millions affected out of fuel poverty. Age Concern is
issuing a 5-point challenge to the government on the action they
need to take to address this problem.
Age Concern’s 5 point
challenge on pensioner fuel poverty
* The government should increase the Winter Fuel Payment by at least
£100.
* The state pension
should be re-linked to earnings urgently.
* The extra VAT
revenue the government receives from fuel price increases should be
put into energy efficiency schemes.
* More money should
be given to increasing the maximum Warm Front grant available.
* Through the Energy
Bill the government should make it compulsory for energy companies
to offer meaningful social tariffs to vulnerable groups.
Did you
know? Fact file....
* When the Winter Fuel Payment was first paid it covered over a 3rd
of the average fuel bill it now covers less than a 5th.
* The average energy
bill has increased by 80% since January 2003, rising from £572 Jan
03 to £1027 March 2008.
* The average annual energy bill is now over £1,027. This will
absorb 16% of the income of a single pensioner dependent on the
pension credit minimum guarantee and the £200 Winter Fuel Payment.
* According to a new
survey by uswitch.com fewer than 1 in 10 of people affected by fuel
poverty, less than 400,000 consumers, receive any subsidies from
social tariffs.
* National Energy
Action (NEA) estimates that fuel poverty affects more than 3 million
households in England and approximately 4.5 million in the UK.
* There were 22,300
excess winter deaths of older people last year - nearly 90% of all
excess winter deaths are of people over the age of 65.
* Almost 1 in 3 older
people live in homes with inadequate heating or insulation making
their homes more difficult to heat and/or keep warm. |
Nat
has a wild day out at the zoo
NATHANIEL
Pugh, 8, from Southport, Merseyside, had a special treat on Friday 7
March 2008 when he spent the day as a zookeeper alongside staff at
Chester Zoo. The day was arranged by Make-A-Wish Foundation UK, the
leading wish granting charity for children and young people fighting
life-threatening illnesses.
Nat, who is living with fighting Acute Lymphoid Leukaemia, loves
dinosaurs, reptiles, and rhinoceros, and it was his greatest wish to
be a zookeeper for the day so that he could see some of his
favourite animals up close. Along with parents Michelle and
Andrew and brother, Joshua, aged 11, Nat was picked up by limousine
on the special day and taken to the zoo where his first job was to
feed the giant tortoise. Nat was then given a VIP tour of the zoo’s
Tropical Realm, home to the reptile collection and other creepy
crawlies, by Senior Keeper Isolde McGeorge.
Next up was a trip to Lemur Island, which can only be reached by
wading across the surrounding moat. Nat was up for the challenge,
though, and popped on some wellies to follow Senior Keeper Andy
Lenihan through the water. By midday, Nat had worked up quite an
appetite, so he and his family stopped by the restaurant at Oakfield
Manor House for a slap-up meal courtesy of Chester Zoo, which also
presented Nat with a special goody bag and the opportunity to adopt
an animal of his choice.
After lunch it was
back to work, feeding the penguins in their enclosure before heading
over to the Tsavo Rhino house where Nat had a rare, up close and
personal encounter with the rhinos alongside keeper Mark Cleave.
The family then enjoyed the rest of the day looking round the other
animal enclosures together before heading home.
Nat’s mother, Michelle Pugh, says:- ‘The day was just out of
this world. Everything was perfect and the staff at Chester Zoo were
fantastic. Nat was absolutely delighted and loved every single
minute. I can’t thank Make-A-Wish enough.’
Fiona Burdsall, of Chester Zoo’s Visitor Services, says:-
‘It’s always a pleasure to be able to help Make-A-Wish and we were
only too pleased to be able to give Nathaniel a special day
alongside our keepers and animals.’
Make-A-Wish knows from its many years of experience that children
and families benefit enormously from having their wishes granted. It
provides them with hope and optimism, and something positive to look
forward to. It lifts the spirit, brings joy and happiness and
becomes a treasured memory. When a wish is granted, Make-A-Wish
ensures that all the family is included. Chester Zoo is
working exclusively with Make-A-Wish to grant magical wishes for
children fighting life-threatening illnesses.
Make-A-Wish is currently celebrating its 21st anniversary year and
since 1986 has granted over 4,700 wishes. Make-A-Wish will be
celebrating its 5,000th wish later this year.
For more
information about Make-A-Wish or to make a donation go to their
website.
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