Monday 12 September 2011

Age Sector Platform has revealed that recent announcements made about gas and electricity price rises have prompted a dramatic increase in the number of calls from older people worried about how they will cope with paying their home heating bills during the coming winter. The charity's ‘Fight the Winter Fuel Cut’ campaign has seen thousands of people from across Northern Ireland sign their name in opposition to the planned cut to the winter fuel payment this year; with over 6,000 supporters now officially recorded.

This year, the UK Government decided to cut the Winter Fuel Payment by £50 for people aged between 60 and 80, and by £100 for those aged over 80; despite spiralling fuel prices and last December being the coldest in Northern Ireland for over 100 years.  756 older people (aged 65+) died of cold related illnesses in Northern Ireland in 2009/2010, and Age Sector Platform fears this figure will rise if the winter fuel payment is cut as planned.

Bill Carson, Chair of Age Sector Platform, explains: “Although this campaign has been running from June of this year, we have witnessed an unprecedented level of interest since the announcements were made about the increases in energy prices.  Older people, as a group with very limited incomes, are extremely worried about how they will cope with paying their home heating bills during the coming winter.  With a planned cut to the winter fuel payment, this concern has become even greater.”

“The support for this campaign shows no sign of slowing with hundreds of petition postcards being requested every day from individuals, groups and communities across Northern Ireland.  We must continue to take a stand against this shocking decision; a decision which many older people are still unaware of, but one that will hit them hard.”

“Age Sector Platform will travel to Westminster in October to deliver our petition, along with a similar petition in the rest of the UK, to the doorstep of the Coalition Government.  Between now and then, we are encouraging people from across Northern Ireland to support this campaign, to make sure the voice of older people in Northern Ireland is heard loud and clear in Westminster.”

Age Sector Platform is encouraging all those in support of its campaign, regardless of age, to contact them on 028 9031 2089 or sign its online petition by visiting www.fightfuelcut.org.