Pensioners urged to put heating on even if they're worried about cost
A spate of weather warnings combined with the government limiting the winter fuel payment could mean poorer older people are at risk.
An imminent cold snap will bring the government’s decision to limit the winter fuel allowance to only the poorest pensioners “into sharp relief”.
A spate of weather warnings combined with the UK government limiting the number of people eligible for winter fuel payments could mean poorer older people are put at risk, Age UK has warned.
The charity has urged older people to stay warm, even if it means "risking spending more on their heating than they feel they can afford," its director has said.
Ice and snow warnings are in place across the UK this weekend, with some areas predicted to experience lows of -8C.
The UK Healthy Security Agency has issued cold weather health alerts for all of England ahead of a week of low temperatures, meaning a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions, is likely.
Age UK director Caroline Abrahams said the charity had already been contacted by older people “worrying about what to do when this moment arrived”.
Last July, the government announced it would limit the winter fuel payment for pensioners eligible for pension credit, resulting in 2.5 million older people on low incomes losing the benefit, Age UK analysis found.
Bill worries continue
A perfect storm of skyrocketing energy bill prices and limiting the winter fuel payment sparked nationwide protests in the UK last year.
One man in Scotland, Peter Fanning, brought legal action against the UK and Scottish governments for the decision. From winter 2025, the payment will be reinstated in Scotland.
The Ofgem price cap rose by 1.2% on 1 January 2025, leaving four-fifths — 79% — of the public are worried about the potential for further energy price rises over the next five years, the End Fuel Poverty Coalition found.
Average energy bills remain around £700 a year above where they were in winter 2020/21, while the coalition said 20 energy firms have made more than £483 billion in profits in recent years.
“Millions of people are living in cold damp homes, unable to heat their homes to a safe temperature or racking up massive debts - with some even turning to loan sharks," Simon Francis, the coordinator of the coalition said.
"The UK government needs to ensure that those suffering now are not abandoned. This means more support for households through a social tariff and delivering on its promise to help people to insulate their homes.”
Since, 2011, some social tariffs have been introduced to offer discounted energy prices to vulnerable consumers, such as those over 60 or receiving means-tested benefits and aimed to reduce the burden of high energy costs for those spending more than 10% of their income on heating bills.
Some energy providers, like EDF and Octopus Energy, offer funds and personalised payment services to assist vulnerable customers.
Abrahams from Age UK has reminded older people who fit this criteria to reach out to their energy provider to find out what help is available.
“The energy companies are under an obligation to help if you are struggling and there may be support available from your local council too," she said.
“Better that than to jeopardise your health.”
Snow and ice warnings ahead
Fresh weather warnings have been issued by the Met Office from 5pm on Thursday for ice ahead of a blast of snow over the weekend.
The yellow warning indicates there could be icy surfaces in northern and western Scotland, the north west of England and Northern Ireland.
They will remain in place from 5pm on Thursday until 10am on Friday morning, and could make for difficult travelling conditions, the forecaster warned.
A snow and ice warning is also in place covering parts of northern Scotland between 4pm on Thursday and 10am on Friday.
Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan said: “At the moment we’ve issued a very large snow warning for Saturday until Monday but it doesn’t mean that everywhere within that warning could see snow, it’s just a heads-up there could be some impacts.”
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