Cost of living: 'I am frightened of dying from cold this winter'

A County Armagh woman who suffers from a rare health condition has said she is frightened of "dying this winter from the cold and becoming another statistic".

Susan Mathews, 66, lives with a disorder that affects her mobility and feels extremely cold all year round.

The former nurse relies on a motorised wheelchair to move within her home.

Her energy supplier has advised that her electricity bill is likely to triple.

In addition to oil-fired heating, Ms Mathews uses electric blankets to stay warm.

A cost-of-living support package of £150 is due to be paid on Tuesday to people on income-related benefits, disabled claimants and pensioners.

However, a number of charities have said the payment is not enough to support those with disabilities.

Speaking to BBC News NI, Ms Mathews said she felt frightened by the cold because she knows she can't survive it.

"I'm afraid I will be one of the people this winter is going to kill - I will be someone who is going to die in the cold and alone," she said.

She no longer includes fruit in her weekly shop - in order to save money. Ms Mathews only buys essentials.

On the day we met in her bungalow in Lurgan, while the sun was shining outside, inside the house was cold.

An electric blanket was unplugged on a chair - it is only plugged in when she is "completely desperate".

And she is not alone - her situation is typical of an increasing number of people.

Disability Action represents thousands of people like Ms Mathews.

Greta Gurklyte, its information and public engagement officer, said the organisation got calls daily from members who were choosing to either "breathe or eat".

Men, women and children across Northern Ireland rely on numerous pieces of machinery, including breathing apparatus, to ease their breathing - in fact, to stay alive.

According to Ms Gurklyte, people are anxious and are telling staff they are afraid they will not survive this winter.

"During the cost-of-living crisis you hear people talk about heat or eat - our members tell us it is a choice between breathing and eating," she said.

"A lot of people depend on life-saving machinery that helps them breathe."

Between January and April 2021, which was the coldest period of the year, Ms Mathew's bill was £120. Now her energy company has advised her that this will jump to £360.

Ms Mathews said up until now she had always been in credit - but that was no longer the case and that she did know what else she could do.

"I will be one of the ones that will go into fuel poverty but without the heat I will become a statistic and I am scared about that," she said.

Ms Matthews runs a helpline for people with rare conditions in Northern Ireland.

That means her mobile phone requires charging too.

She said that while she was meant to be providing support, she was often lost for words.

"I have people ringing me on the helpline and they are worried. I'm the one that's supposed to be helping them and nothing is forthcoming," she says.

"Having no [devolved] government doesn't help."

Meanwhile, charities including Disability Action and the MS Society have called for an "urgent increase" in financial support to help people with disabilities get through the winter.

The MS Society said disabled people faced extra living costs with some already being forced to choose between essentials such as fuel and medication.

Disability Action is calling for disability benefits to be increased by 13% rather than a one-off payment.