Turning up the heat on fuel poverty

With the economic outlook as bleak as coming winter weather, Ruth Patrick says it's imperative for the coalition Government to act early for disabled people in fuel poverty

The extent of fuel poverty in Britain today is a disgrace and must be addressed by this coalition Government.

A household is described as being fuel poor where they need to spend ten per cent or more of their income on fuel to adequately heat their home. In 2007, 2.8 million households were in fuel poverty, of which 2.3 million were categorised as vulner­able households as they included disabled people, children or the elderly.

For disabled people, the situation is particularly serious, as many impairments are aggravated by cold, meaning that being unable to afford to heat one's home can have serious health consequences. For those disabled people who spend much of their time indoors, the costs of heating are correspondingly higher, further increasing their risks of living in fuel poverty. At the sharp end, fuel poverty can literally involve choices over whether to keep warm or eat adequately - a choice which no one living in 21st century Britain should be required to make.

All those aged over 60, regardless of income, receive a Winter Fuel Payment (WFP) of between £250 and £400 a year to assist them with the costs of heating their homes during the cold winter months.

Unfortunately, these payments do not reach those most in need.

Recent research by the think tank, Policy Exchange, found that only 18 per cent of households in receipt of WFPs are fuel poor, whilst 49 per cent of all fuel poor households receive no WFPs. As a report by the House of Common's Energy and Climate Change Committee argued, WFPs in their current incarnation are an ineffective measure for helping the fuel poor.

This situation needs to be rectified and quickly. The coalition should extend WFPs to all those disabled people in receipt of high-level Disability Living Allowance for mobility impairments. The Liberal Democrat's manifesto included the commitment to increase the age of eligibility for WFPs to 65, and use the money saved to provide WFPs of £200 for many disabled people. Now in Government as Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg seems to have forgotten or abandoned this policy pledge, and the recent Budget contained no changes to the current system of WFPs.

Disabled people should remind Clegg of his earlier manifesto promise, and should join the voices of National Energy Action and the End Fuel Poverty Coalition in calling for measures to tackle fuel poverty. A good place to start would be a letter to your MP, asking them to act now on fuel poverty before even more people simply cannot afford to keep warm this winter.

- For details of current campaigns see: nea.org.uk and consumerfocus.org.uk/campaigns/end-fuel-poverty