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Labour MP calls for improvement on fuel poverty |
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Tuesday, 18 March 2008 |
Glasgow North West MP John Robertson has challenged the Westminster Government to take further action on eradicating fuel poverty after last week’s Budget saw only minor increases in the Winter Fuel Payment (WFP).
Robertson said the increases of 7 per cent for the lower rate of WFP and 19 per cent for the higher rate, the first since 2001 and 2003 respectively, must be seen in the context of fuel prices that have risen 50 per cent in the same period.
He said:
“The tragedy of the situation is summed up by the fact that despite being the sixth richest country in the world we collate a statistic entitled ‘the excess winter death figure’, and I would humbly submit that if we can afford to double the allowance for inheritance tax, we can find the money to stop a pensioner from freezing in their own home.
“In last week’s Budget we saw the first increases in the Winter Fuel Payment since 2001 for the lower rate and 2003 for the higher rate, but these only represent real term rises of around 7 per cent and 19 per cent. In contrast energy prices have increased by 50 per cent against inflation in this time so there is a big shortfall here. Whilst the Government reduced fuel poverty by 4.5m in its first seven years, in 2003 2m people, 600,000 pensioners, were in fuel poverty. Given that the winter fuel allowance has risen far more slowly than fuel prices since then I fear that a far greater number will be in fuel poverty next winter. There is a clear need to have some mechanism to link the amount of the winter fuel allowance to fuel prices given that these are the main factor in pushing people into fuel poverty.”
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