Another winter, another energy crisis for Disabled people, another wall of silence from Government.

Last week, calls for the return of cost-of-living payments was rebuffed by the minister for Social Security and Disability, Sir Stephen Timms.  Responding to calls for the return of support payments, the Minister said that the Cost-of-Living Payments were “intended to relieve the immediate financial pressures caused by the rapid rise in cost of living” adding that there are “no plans to reintroduce these payments”. This response inferred that in the eyes of the government, the cost-of-living crisis for the poorest in society, including a disproportionate number of Disabled people, was over. I can assuredly say it is not. Why? Because The Ofgem price cap is currently set at £1,738 - and the latest predictions point to another increase from this April. An announcement is expected from Ofgem on February 25. The future is bleak if you have a disability.

The disability community with its extra reliance on energy and heating, feels utterly abandoned. Disabled people’s energy costs are higher than those of non-Disabled people, as there is often the need to run the heating more (to cope with lower mobility or prevent severe illness due to weakened immune systems) and to charge essential medical and mobility equipment, such as oxygen machines, ceiling track hoists, through floor lifts, suction machines for  tracheostomy blockages to prevent choking, and feeding pumps, not to mention multiple daily uses of washing machines and showers. All this costs, driving Disabled people into rationing usage, illness and debt.  

Disabled people spend 8% of the household budget on energy compared to 6% for non-Disabled households. That is an extra £12 a week or £634 a year. The poorest 20% of Disabled households set aside more of their budget for energy than non-Disabled households. 12% compared to 10%.  This is even more shocking when you consider that Disabled people are more likely to live in a home that is colder and damper than the general population.

Many carers also have far higher energy costs, with 1.8 million of them living in fuel poverty. In addition, unpaid carers are being required to repay more than £250 million, after many unknowingly received overpayments of carers allowance. The Government is seeking to recover money from more than 134,000 carers, which is impacting their already meagre finances. The right thing for Government to do, is to support Disabled people and carers meet their energy costs. , A recent report from Marie Curie found that on average UK energy bills rose above £2,000 for the first time back in 2022 – meaning a person with a terminal illness would be paying as much as £3,500 a year for energy. The report also highlighted the fact that a terminally ill person’s energy bill can rise by 75% after their diagnosis. But perhaps most worrying of all is that the research found 150,000 people die at home in England and Wales each year, from conditions that are commonly supported by medical devices.

The recent removal of the Winter Fuel Payment from 1.6 million older Disabled people, has added to the crisis. Labour’s decision to means-test the Payments, has left many older Disabled citizens deciding “whether to starve or freeze”. The pensioners affected, face intersectional disadvantage based on age and disability, both associated with higher needs for heating and health related equipment. It is extremely concerning that such a major change to policy was pushed through so quickly, without adequate consultation or scrutiny.

The Government should respond with urgency, to the energy crisis being experienced by Disabled people and carers, so that we can use energy that keeps us warm, safe and healthy. The situation is critical, lives are at stake, but there is a deafening silence from Westminster, almost as if the issue sits down the bottom of the urgent list of departments to do, as it appears to have done since the cost of living crisis swept into the countries life.

There is much that can be done to ensure the health and safety of Disabled people, who rely on energy to survive. Since the start of the energy crisis, The group I co-lead, Disability Poverty Campaign Group. and other groups and charities have been calling for an energy social tariff. We know it would make an enormous difference to the lives of Disabled people.
An energy social tariff would be a government-backed scheme to provide discounted energy for the poorest households and those with the highest usage due to health needs. (Keir Starmer pledged to cut household energy bills by £400 if Labour won the general election) the time to engage with the Disabled community on this, is now as trust between Government and the community could reach levels lower than that of the one when the conservatives were in power.

An energy social tariff is just one option. Other ethical and financially manageable actions could also be taken, including reinstating the Warm Home Discount for the 300,000 Disabled people who lost this vital support due to changes to eligibility criteria, and of course re-introducing Winter Fuel Payments.

Fuel poverty must not be allowed to continue. The Government must talk to those affected, to agree and implement ways forward. Turning its back on the issue, is unacceptable and shameful and is leading to despair, illness and avoidable deaths. How can this be allowed to continue to happen under a government that purports to be on the side of the most disadvantaged people? Over to you labour.