Sign our open letter to the Chancellor and Energy Minister about energy costs
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Dear Sirs
New research from Contact reveals families with disabled children expect to see their energy bills soar to more than £3,000 per year this April. Even before the 1st April price hike, households with a disabled child were already paying £600 a year more than other households. As a result 42% of families reported going without heating and 10% went without vital aids this winter.
Now facing unprecedented rises in energy costs, thousands of families fear they will have to cut back further on life-saving equipment and heating. This could worsen their child’s condition and put them at risk.
Disabled children and adults need their benefits uprated in line with inflation. At the very least, the £200 energy rebate announced in February, should be made a non-repayable grant for disabled people. And at such a difficult and precarious time, the government must look again at the Warm Home Discount Scheme to ensure it helps more families who have disproportionately higher bills due to disability. Planned changes to the scheme's eligibility do not take into account the impact of disability on energy usage.
Yours faithfully