Three in four pensioners are living in a cold home

It’s an absolutely appalling state of affairs and the government should be ashamed..

How does the Daily Express know this ?

And the data to support this is?

That was the headline but what is the story?

It would take such a small amount of financing to reinstate the Winter Fuel Allowance.. it's truly disgusting that they don't when we're looking at eyewatering amount being given to defence aid in Ukraine..

The DE are headlining from a survey carried out by Age UK, I’ve read the key points of said survey being used as back up support for their petition no No 10 Downing St, the petition calls for the reinstatement of the winter fuel allowance.
Whilst that survey supplies some figures from the over 60’s I know of plenty of people in their 30’s, 40’s and 50’s who are also struggling with fuel bills, some in ill health and with young children.
Energy costs will probably increase around April when the price cap is reviewed, an issue across all age groups.

3 OUT OF 4 OAPS LIVING IN COLD HOMES

Daily ExpressBy Jonathan Walker Whitehall Editor


UP to nine million pensioners were left shivering at home last month after Labour cut their winter fuel payments.
Three in four lived in uncomfortably cold homes in January, new figures show.
Charity Age UK will today deliver a petition with 650,000 signatures to Downing Street demanding action to make sure it can never happen again. Age UK director Caroline Abrahams said: “We cannot and we must not go through this all over again next winter.” She stressed: “This is the first January since the Government decided to means-test the winter fuel payment and it is a national scandal that so many older people are saying they are cold in their own homes some, most or all of the time.
“The position of those on lower incomes is worse still, with one in three saying they are cold at home most or all of the time.”
Desperate pensioners say they are being
forced to stay in bed to keep warm or choose between heating and using the oven.*

The numbers were collected by Age UK.

3 out of 4?

Absolute balderdash.

Mmm. Isn’t the D Express an extremely right wing newspaper?

If Ed Miliband isn’t stopped on his ridiculous crusade our energy bills will be astronomical, that’s if we have any energy to use of course.

So are most of GN members living in cold homes?

Do a straw poll of friends - how many do you know live in cold homes.

I know of no one.

Whitewavemark2

3 out of 4?

Absolute balderdash.

I have just been onto Age UK website, and it’s saying exactly the same, 3 in 4 pensioners aged 66 and over were cold in January.

Whitewavemark2

So are most of GN members living in cold homes?

Do a straw poll of friends - how many do you know live in cold homes.

I know of no one.

I am one.

I must admit I was astonished by the figure.

Thank you for providing the details Parsley3

I didn’t stop to read it as I was hurrying back to the car park, but it stuck in my mind.

Sadly there have been a few posters on here over this winter describing how many layers they routinely wear in doors as they are too scared to put their heating on.

A sorry situation.

3 out of 4 pensioners were receiving winter fuel payment ?

The Express is Right wing, but certainly not extreme.

These days though any Right wing views seem to be automatically described as Hard-Right.

Whitewavemark2

3 out of 4?

Absolute balderdash.

How do you know. I lost my winter fuel allowance, I have new state pension, plus a occupational pension. I did not shiver, I put my heating on, but alot of hard working people who have state pension only struggled.

Were state pensioners only allowed to apply ?

Anniebach

3 out of 4 pensioners were receiving winter fuel payment ?

Well all pensioners received WFA.

I would question the validity of these stats, and also even with the WFA across the years many pensioners still had cod homes and the expressions “eating or heating” did not start within this govt’s reign.

I would add that think fuel poverty is awful, whether you’re 66, over or under!

I do doubt the figures, as I cannot find the Age UK report on its website, perhaps someone could direct me, I want to be able to make my own mind up on the basis of Age UK figures*

I have googled every which way.

All I could find was last years report

www.ageuk.org.uk/siteassets/documents/reports-and-publications/reports-and-briefings/safe-at-home/cold-at-home-energy-and-col-report.pdf

JenniferEccles

The Express is Right wing, but certainly not extreme.

These days though any Right wing views seem to be automatically described as Hard-Right.

It’s not hard-right. Most newspapers are either right or left leaning. The Independent used to be fairly middle of the road.

I’m sorry to hear that ViceVersa
Do you have your heating on for at least part of the day?

It’s been so cold over the whole country, even here in the south, with a biting easterly wind today.

I'm a living in a cold house and suffer from long term chronic illness , I'm not alone, I can count at least ten of my relatives and friends who are in the same situation, and its been a particularly cold winter here.

I think I have found the report that the Express used - and the misinformation in it:

www.ageuk.org.uk/latest-press/articles/2024/energy-crisis-is-still-causing-misery-for-the-poorest-pensioners-says-age-uk/

The "three out of four" figures are based on a specific group not all pensioners

The group is restricted to:

In a new report out today, Age UK warns that

older people living in a household with an income less than £20,000 per year and not in receipt of means tested benefits, have faced particularly steep challenges with managing through recent times

New research for the Charity revealed that for these older people, the cost of living crisis is far from over

so this is not to say that we should not address the crisis,

but it is showing the Express to be very disingenuous indeed and clearly has given - if you read the Parsely copy of the Express report -

that it is based on a survey of all pensioners not those with incomes under £20.000