Elderly 'too afraid' to switch on heating due to rising fuel bills

Elderly people are becoming too afraid to switch on their heating in case of incurring large fuel bills, an MP said today.

Tory Ann Winterton (Congleton) said the "most vulnerable" section of society was suffering the most as fuel costs "dramatically increased".

But Work and Pensions minister Mike O'Brien said elderly people would be receiving extra help this year as winter fuel payments will increase to an average of £250.

Speaking during question time, Lady Winterton told MPs that the Government's own advisors had announced that the fuel poverty target had been missed.

"So I wonder what warm words the Government can offer to elderly people who face dramatically increased fuel costs since the Government appears to have no clear strategy to address fuel poverty amongst the elderly," she said.

Pensioners will be "too afraid to switch up or even to switch on the heating in case they incur very large bills", Ms Winterton added.

"What action is the Government going to take to assist this most vulnerable section of our community?"

Mr O'Brien insisted that as well as increased winter fuel payments, the Pensions Bill - currently going through the Lords - would put pensioners on "lower social tariffs" so they pay less for their heating.

For the Tories, Nigel Waterson said it was time the Government "got serious about tackling pensioner poverty".

He pointed to recent Government figures that showed an extra 300,000 elderly people were living in poverty, bringing the total to "well above two million".

"Since these statistics were prepared, even more pensioners will have been driven into poverty due to the recent surge in energy and other living costs," he said.

But Mr O'Brien said the Government had lifted 1.9 million people out of absolute poverty - "poverty that your party had left those people in".

Labour's Dennis Skinner (Bolsover) said this winter he did not expect his front bench to be telling pensioners to "knit a woolly hat" and "take a hot water bottle to bed".

To Labour cheers, he added: "Just like the minister did in those grim Tory years."

Gordon Lishman, director general of Age Concern, said: "Rocketing energy bills, are putting huge pressure on already cash-strapped pensioners.

"It is scandalous that more than one in three older people are likely to be living in fuel poverty by the end of the year.

"We know many are feeling forced to cut back on their heating in an attempt to reduce costs, which could be putting their health at risk.

"Urgent and decisive action on fuel poverty is needed to help end the hardships millions of older people are facing.

"As an emergency measure the Government and energy companies must work together to introduce a 'fuel voucher' scheme to help the poorest pensioners.

"As part of a wider package of reforms, the Government should also introduce mandatory social tariffs to put an end to the scandal of poorer customers on pre-payment meters being charged more than others."