It's eat or heat this winter

Rising energy bills and a steep increase in the cost of living are likely to drive many disabled people into debt this winter, says Janet Slater

How far can you stretch a chicken?

The answer – given that my weekly income is £65.38 income support and I live in the north of England – is “about four days”: one day hot, second day cold (with left-overs from day one), third day cold (with jacket potatoes), fourth day risotto or soup.

For those fortunate enough never to have heard of the pittance called “income support”, it is given by the government to those with no other income to live on. By “live on”, I mean everything: food, heating, clothing, water, television license, socialising!

No winter fuel payments, though, because I am only disabled, not retired.

I do receive disability living allowance at the middle rate of care and higher rate mobility. The mobility component I use for my Motability car, without which I would be under house arrest. The £44.85 per week care component goes on petrol, telephone, etc. I don’t drink, never buy convenience or junk food, I have not had a night out or holiday in years and possess one pair of shoes (I don’t do much walking!). My only vice is rolling my own cigarettes at £10 a week.

Because I single-handedly looked after my disabled son for many years, I have no savings.

Somewhere in the barrage of information about the credit crunch, rising energy bills and cost-of-living increases, you may have heard of those having to choose between “heating and eating” this winter. I am one of them.

Two years ago, winter was just about “do-able”. I survived… just.

But I still have not paid last winter’s fuel bills. Letters from the energy company lie in an ever-increasing pile. If the bailiffs come, I own nothing of value. My furniture has come from re-cycling centres or rescued from a rubbish pile.

Running the finances of a country is like running a home. Those who cannot look after themselves take priority. My dog and three cats are fed and cared for before myself.

The living things come before “profits”, “infrastructure” and “investment”.

I have five years before I can get the £250 winter fuel payment and 25 years before I can bask in the £400 given to the over-80s.

I realise a lot of this is a worldwide energy problem. But the whole world does not live in the north of England with our atrocious climate. (What global warming?)

This insulation hoo-ha is just a red herring. What, have a house full of stale air circulating all winter to keep warm?

Disabled people need cold fuel payments this winter. Not extra jumpers or draught excluders, but real money for real heating.

This winter, my household will eat as well as we possibly can on £65.38. Our wellbeing comes before the profits of the big six energy companies. All my heating bills will be forwarded to 10 Downing Street. Just keep a place for me in the debtors’ prison!