poverty

Energy bills to rise 65 per cent higher than four years ago

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/energy-bills-rise-65-cent-higher-four-years-ago

Image of cash and pre-payment meter key
Image of cash and pre-payment meter key

CAMPAIGNERS called for the government to reverse cuts to the winter fuel payment today, with energy bills set to rise by 10 per cent from next week.

Regulator Ofgem announced it will raise its price cap starting next Tuesday, pushing bills up from £1,568 to £1,717 for a typical household.

The End Fuel Poverty Coalition warned that energy bills will be 65 per cent higher than in winter 2020/21.

Millions have already fallen into energy debt, with Ofgem data revealing that the total owed has spiralled into a record-breaking £3.69 billion.

This winter, some 1.2m pensioners in poverty and 1.6m disabled people will miss out on winter fuel payments, making it more and more difficult for them to cover the rising bills.

The Labour government has announced cuts to the payment, previously available to all pensioners, limiting it to only those receiving means-tested benefits.

Comparison service Uswitch estimated that 752,000 older people will not use heating at all this winter as a result.

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/energy-bills-rise-65-cent-higher-four-years-ago

Continue ReadingEnergy bills to rise 65 per cent higher than four years ago

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Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves wear the uniform of the rich and powerful. They have all had clothes bought for them by multi-millionaire Labour donor Lord Alli. CORRECTION: It appears that Rachel Reeves clothing was provided by Juliet Rosenfeld.
Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves wear the uniform of the rich and powerful. They have all had clothes bought for them by multi-millionaire Labour donor Lord Alli. CORRECTION: It appears that Rachel Reeves clothing was provided by Juliet Rosenfeld.
Keir Starmer says pensioners can freeze to death and poor children can starve and be condemned to failure and misery all their lives.
Keir Starmer says pensioners can freeze to death and poor children can starve and be condemned to failure and misery all their lives.
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‘Let there be no doubt, lives will be lost’

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Image of cash and pre-payment meter key
Image of cash and pre-payment meter key

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/let-there-be-no-doubt-lives-will-be-lost

More than 1.7 million households plan on keeping their heating off this year, survey reveals

LIVES will be lost, campaigners warned today after a survey revealed that more than 1.7 million households do not plan on turning on their heating this year.

The number of those who said they will keep the heating off in polling for Uswitch is nearly double the 972,000 who said they did not heat their homes last year.

Fifty-five per cent of those blamed the continued rise of the cost of living, while 25 per cent of those over 65 said their decision followed the loss of winter fuel payments.

Another one million households will not turn on the heating until December to keep costs down, according to the poll.

About 43 per cent of households said they will only turn the heating on if they are too cold while 31 per cent will only heat some rooms in their home.

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/let-there-be-no-doubt-lives-will-be-lost

Keir Starmer says pensioners can freeze to death and poor children can starve and be condemned to failure and misery all their lives.
Keir Starmer says pensioners can freeze to death and poor children can starve and be condemned to failure and misery all their lives.
Continue Reading‘Let there be no doubt, lives will be lost’

Charities demand to meet UK ministers as 1.6m disabled OAPs set to lose winter fuel payments

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https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/sep/15/charities-demand-to-meet-uk-ministers-as-16m-disabled-oaps-set-to-lose-winter-fuel-payments

A pensioner struggles to keep warm at home. Photograph: Studio Romantic/Shutterstock

Call comes after government forced to reveal that 71% of pensioners with disabilities will lose entitlement despite dependence on warmer homes

Groups representing disabled people are demanding urgent meetings with ministers after it was revealed that 1.6 million pensioners with disabilities will lose their winter fuel payments because of government cuts.

The figures were released by the Department for Work and Pensions on Friday evening, in answer to a freedom of information request, despite the government having said it had done no official impact assessment on the policy. The internal DWP analysis also suggested that nine in 10 pensioners aged between 66 and 79, and eight out of 10 over-80s would lose their allowance.

Since those over 80 receive a higher payment – £300 as opposed to £200 – they would take the greatest financial hit, the document said.

The analysis revealed that although people with disabilities were more likely to retain the payment, 71% – 1.6 million – would still lose their entitlement, despite their greater dependence on heating their homes.

The analysis also estimated that of the 880,000 pensioners entitled to pension credit but who do not claim the benefit, only 100,000 are expected to sign up to it as a result of a government campaign now under way, meaning about 780,000 pensioners on low incomes would continue to miss out.

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https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/sep/15/charities-demand-to-meet-uk-ministers-as-16m-disabled-oaps-set-to-lose-winter-fuel-payments

Keir Starmer says pensioners can freeze to death and poor children can starve and be condemned to failure and misery all their lives.
Keir Starmer says pensioners can freeze to death and poor children can starve and be condemned to failure and misery all their lives.
Continue ReadingCharities demand to meet UK ministers as 1.6m disabled OAPs set to lose winter fuel payments