Charity warns of deaths as fuel payments change

A charity warns it will not be able to help people keep warm this winter following the government's decision to withdraw fuel payments for millions of pensioners.

Cumbria Community Foundation in Dovenby, near Cockermouth, asks better-off households to donate their fuel payments to help it support thousands of older people.

The charity claimed the government's decision to means test the payment would result in an estimated 60% drop in donations.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said: "Given the dire state of the public finances we have inherited, it's right that we target support to those who need it most."

Winter fuel payments, until now, have been paid to all pensioners to help with energy bills.

But in July, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced the payment would be made only to those on low incomes who received certain benefits.

Andy Beeforth, the chief executive of Cumbria Community Foundation, said he was worried about how to help the more than 3,000 people who relied on them.

"We have very high levels of what we call excess winter deaths," he said. "People who die because they cannot afford to heat their homes properly and feed themselves properly.

"It can be as many as 500 older people in a bad winter."

Mr Beeforth said the impact of a cold winter was particularly bad in Cumbria because many homes were hard to insulate, not on mains gas and built from stone.

"We have many homes that are expensive to heat and we've also got a lot of people living on relatively low incomes," he continued.

The charity has run its "winter warmth appeal" since 2010 and hopes people will still donate despite the loss of income.

"We are worried," said Mr Beeforth. "We're convinced people will be as generous as they can, but we also know that some of the people who gave simply won't have as much money in their pockets as they've had before."

A spokesperson for the DWP said: "We are absolutely committed to supporting pensioners, over 12 million of whom could see their State Pensions increase by almost a thousand pounds in the next five years.

"Over a million pensioners will continue to receive the Winter Fuel Payment, many will benefit from the £150 Warm Home Discount scheme, and we urge others to check their eligibility for Pension Credit."

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