Poor, cold and disabled

New government figures show for the first time how tens of thousands of younger disabled people are living in fuel poverty.

Energy minister Malcolm Wicks released the figures which showed that, in 2005, there were 98,000 English households with a disabled family member under 60 in fuel poverty.

The figures provide the strongest grounds yet for extending winter fuel payments to people under 60 who receive the middle and higher rates of disability living allowance (DLA).

They were released in response to a parliamentary question by Labour MP Roger Berry, who said: “These figures show that fuel poverty is a real problem for disabled people. This has now become a matter of real urgency.”

But a Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said there were still no plans to extend the payments.