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Consumer Council Highlights How Worse Off Pay More For Everyday Essentials

Thursday 28 July 2011

A Consumer Council report ‘The Price of Being Poor’ launched today by Junior Ministers Martina Anderson, MLA and Jonathan Bell, MLA exposes the harsh reality that many consumers, already living in poverty, pay more for essentials such as energy and transport. They suffer a ‘double disadvantage’ because their financial situation excludes them from some of the better deals available to other consumers.

The report identifies how the disadvantage suffered by consumers living in poverty can be best tackled and outlines practical actions needed to make a difference to vulnerable consumers. Key areas of concern include: financial exclusion; transport; fuel poverty; shoppers’ rights and responsibilities and the cost of complaining.

Antoinette McKeown, Chief Executive of the Consumer Council added: “The Consumer Council is delighted that both Junior Ministers’ Anderson and Bell have pledged their support behind the Price of Being Poor report. It is scandalous that those least able to pay are receiving the worst deals. The Price of Being Poor report emphasizes the vicious cycle between poverty and debt. This needs to be addressed immediately; we all have a responsibility to make sure no extra disadvantage is placed on consumers already struggling. The Consumer Council is focused on working with Government and stakeholders to take the recommendations in this report forward and implement changes to benefit disadvantaged consumers.”

A copy of this publication is available to download from: www.consumercouncil.org.uk/publications; Facebook: Consumer Council Northern Ireland and Twitter: ConsumerCouncil or for a hard copy telephone 0800 121 6022. Over 300 publications have been issued to policy makers throughout Government and the public and private sectors.

Notes to editors:

1. Please see attached factsheet outlining key areas of concern extracted from the Price of Being Poor Report.

ENDS

Consumer Council media contact: Pauline Gordon 028 9067 4807 or 079 0997 2704 or email pgordon @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.
For more information, visit our website at www.consumercouncil.org.uk