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Government must extend winter fuel allowance to disabled
Immediate Release: 8 January 2010

Disabled people living in poverty are being left out in the cold and denied their basic rights of a Winter Fuel Allowance, according to anti-poverty charity Elizabeth Finn Care.

Unlike the elderly, disabled people are not eligible for the Winter Fuel Allowance and can expect only a meagre £25 – and only when the average temperature where they live falls below freezing for seven consecutive days.

Elizabeth Finn Care is outraged at the lack of provision offered to those with disabilities – especially during one of the coldest snaps of the last century.

Rob Tolan, head of research and policy at Elizabeth Finn Care, said: “Many disabled people are often housebound due to the nature of their condition and for those with the most severe disabilities – where movement is restricted entirely – a constantly heated home can be the difference between life and death.

"If the government recognises it has a duty to help pensioners because they are more likely to live on lower incomes, more likely to be in fragile health and as a result, more likely to face difficulties in paying for the increased cost of fuel bills, then it must apply the same principle in respect to the disabled and extend the Winter Fuel Allowance to them."

Two-fifths of adults aged 45-65 on below average incomes have a debilitating long-standing illness or disability. This is more than twice the rate for those on average incomes. In addition, two-thirds of the people helped by Elizabeth Finn Care seek our support as a result of physical illness, injury or accident.

In a modern, affluent society, economic crisis or otherwise, people should never be in a position where they are forced to choose between whether they heat, or eat.

For further information, comments and case studies please contact:
Will Davies, Press Officer. Tel: 020 7396 6703. 1 Derry Street, London W8 5HY. will.davies@elizabethfinn.org.uk
Rob Tolan, director of research and policy at Elizabeth Finn Care, is available for interview. He can be contacted on 07807 967 466.


Notes to Editors:
  • Elizabeth Finn Care helps professionals from over 120 occupations who are in financial difficulty.
  • Elizabeth Finn Care provides one-off and ongoing financial help, tailored to individual circumstances, as well as emotional support through our experienced caseworkers and national volunteer network.
  • People who seek help from Elizabeth Finn Care are coping with unexpected changes in their life and the resulting financial hardship, typically due to ill health, disability or marital breakdown.
  • Since mid 2008, we are increasingly helping people who are struggling financially after redundancy.
  • 75% of people who seek help from Elizabeth Finn Care have some level of mental health problems.
  • Since Elizabeth Finn Care was founded, we have given £130,000,000 to those in need.