UK faces ‘deepening crisis’ as pensioners shiver and fuel bills soar | Politics | News
The six leading aid organizations are forced to close the heating of millions of retirees and disabled people and reduce foods following an increase in £ 700 in energy bills. According to a new report, the British designed to face and in need of a “deepening crisis ,, financial support, cannot reach most of the struggles.
Joanna Elson, the General Manager of the Independent Age, said: “The people we talk about in later life cannot meet their energy bills because they make harsh and dangerous cuts.“ They close their heating systems for weeks, visit public places to stay warm and cut food, so they can pay energy bills. This is unacceptable. “
Scope, Age UK, Independent Age, Mencap, Sense and Design, a fair work and energy company E.On UK found that annual energy bills were £ 700 more expensive than an average of five years ago. Energy Watchdog Ofgem will publish a new price limit that is expected to approve another rise today.
Approximately 6.1 million households are in fuel poverty, ie they spend more than 10 percent of their income after energy costs and two million debt or debtor.
However, a plan called the Warm Home discount, which is managed by Ed Miliband and designed to help the households in need, is not enough to solve the problem. This will provide a discount of £ 150 on energy bills for 2.7 million households this winter, but most of those who need charities will miss the most. The program will end next year and the government did not explain whether it will be expanded.
No institutions asked the discount to rise to £ 400 per year, and with the collection payments for disabled people, the plan aimed at nothing that needs it.
Caroline Abrahams, Director of the Charity Institution of Age UK, said: “Old people should not allow the next years to be exposed to the high energy prices of thousands of large people, because of their comfort and peace of mind, not continuous elections, but continuous elections related to cold or debt.
“This cannot be about passing through a winter at a time – we must build a future in which no person is left cold or struggles to meet the foundations. To achieve this, fair energy prices require properly isolated houses and a support system struggling with the scourge of fuel in the long term.”
A government spokesman said: uz We help more than six million households by expanding the hot home discount of more than six million this winter and working with Ofgem in a debt evacuation plan to reduce bills for each house.
“The only way to reduce energy bills well is the government’s fossil fuel prices from the Rollercoaster and the clean energy that will bring to the host power.”
