Government must act to end winter death scandal amongst pensioners
25/11/2009
Britain’s biggest older people's organisation, the National Pensioners Convention (NPC), has called on the government to take immediate action to tackle the rising number of winter deaths amongst the country’s elderly.
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Pensioners say “Hands off our winter fuel allowance"
Britain's biggest older people's organisation, the National Pensioners Convention (NPC), has condemned the Audit Commission’s latest report which calls for changes to be made to the annual winter fuel allowance.
Pensioners demand Winter Fuel Allowance remains universal
Britain’s biggest pensioner organisation, the National Pensioners Convention (NPC), has criticised the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee for suggesting that the annual Winter Fuel Allowance should become a means-tested benefit.
Consumer watchdog's call to prevent energy suppliers from overcharging
Independent consumer champion Consumer Focus has today called on energy regulator Ofgem to prohibit suppliers overcharging their customers.
Electricity price cut "nothing more than a sop to consumers"
The new utility watchdog 'Consumer Focus' has dismissed the latest price cut by EDF Energy as "meagre" and "nothing more than a sop to consumers".
'Glimmer of warmth' on fuel poverty
New consultations published today by the Department of Environment and Climate Change have been warmly welcomed by campaigners looking to take two million older people out of fuel poverty.
Almost two million vulnerable pensioners excluded from getting help with heating their homes
Britain’s biggest pensioner organisation, the National Pensioners Convention (NPC), has today called on the government to end the use of means-testing as the basis for allocating energy efficiency measures through its Warm Front Scheme.
Icelanders to help keep fuel-poor British pensioners warm this winter
A container filled with jumpers, socks and blankets - destined for Britain's fuel poor pensioners - will arrive at Grimsby on 26 January, following an appeal from listeners to a popular morning radio programme in Iceland, called Bitid.
Feeling the cold? Call the Home Heat Helpline!
In the wake of the big freeze, the Home Heat Helpline has responded
by stepping up support for those most vulnerable to the cold - including pensioners and people living with disabilities.
Ofgem calls on energy suppliers to slash hiked prices
As the price of crude oil falls but household energy bills don't, energy regulator Ofgem has called for speedier action from suppliers to slash unfair pricing from energy bills. And not a moment too soon for the millions on fixed or falling incomes who cannot afford to keep warm during what has now officially been recognised as the "coldest start to winter in 30 years".
Home Heat Helpline launched to help cut energy bills
Actor Richard Wilson and Paralympian Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson have launched this winter’s Home Heat Helpline campaign to provide free home insulation for elderly, disabled and single parents this winter.
Thousands still dying from the cold in 21st century Britain
New figures show that 25,300 older people died last winter as a result of cold related illnesses - underlining the genuine misery faced by many hard-pressed pensioners. Since Labour took power in 1997, over a quarter of a million pensioners have now lost their lives this way - equivalent to the entire population of a city the size of Newcastle, Nottingham or Plymouth.
Urgent support needed to help households cope with energy price hikes
As the weather begins to bite, the government could immediately help 1.6 million households cope with this year’s unprecedented rises in energy prices through extending the use of winter fuel payments, Consumer Focus, the new independent champion for consumers, said today.
Fuel poverty - Government wins legal argument, but not moral one
The High Court has ruled that the Government has not broken the law by failing to keep homes warm, despite allowing the number of households in fuel poverty to reach the highest level in ten years.
Energy - crisis action needed
Britain’s leading campaigners for older people are warning that millions face a heating crisis this winter unless radical action is taken.
One organisation is demanding that some of the billions of pounds of additional revenue now coming into the Government’s coffers through rising energy prices are allocated to stop people falling further into debt this winter or, worse, suffer hypothermia.
