Urgent Review Of Winter Fuel Payments Needed
Friday 20 August 2010
The Consumer Council says that an urgent review of the Winter Fuel Payment is needed to ensure it adequately targets consumers in fuel poverty. The comments come amid claims that the qualifying age for the payment will rise to 66 and that the amount may be cut for some consumers.
Aodhan O’Donnell, Director of Policy and Education at the Consumer Council said, “A staggering 50 per cent of homes here are believed to be in fuel poverty[1], the highest level in Western Europe. We also have the highest number of winter deaths – there were over a 1000 deaths in 2009[2]. It is for these reasons that the Consumer Council wants a review of the Winter Fuel Payment. It is essential that the fuel poor of all ages including children and young people, those living in hard to heat homes and those with long term illnesses, are given the support they need to heat their homes properly.
“Many consumers here rely on the Winter Fuel Payment during the cold winter months. However, the fact remains that many who don’t need it, also get it. If we are serious about tackling fuel poverty in an era of reduced Government spending, we need to make sure that the money spent is making the impact it needs to eradicate fuel poverty in households here.
“The Consumer Council is meeting with Alex Attwood, Minister for Social Development this month to ask him to bring his influence to bear in the fight against fuel poverty in Northern Ireland. With crisis levels of fuel poverty and winter deaths here, any cuts to benefits or support for people already in financial hardship will have a much higher impact here compared to other parts of the UK. The Consumer Council will continue to work on consumers’ behalf to ensure that the effects of fuel poverty on NI consumers are fully understood and considered both locally and by the Westminster Coalition Government.”
ENDS
- Consumer Council media contact: Paula Gunn, telephone, 028 9067 4816 or e-mail, pgunn@consumercouncil.org.uk
- The Consumer Council is an independent consumer organisation, working to bring about change to benefit Northern Ireland’s consumers.The Council campaigns for high standards of service and protection and a fair deal for all. It also carries out research, gives advice and publishes reports and other publications. It deals with individual complaints about buses, trains, planes, ferries, natural gas, electricity, coal and water.
[1]A fuel poor household is one that needs to spend more than 10% of its income on fuel to obtain a satisfactory level of heating - that is, 20ºC in the living room and 18ºC in other occupied rooms. In 2006,
34 per cent of households in Northern Ireland were in fuel poverty. DSD officials now believe this figure is around 50 per cent.
[2]Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS).
