Vulnerable elderly people are being forced to turn off their heating and suffer bitterly cold temperatures in their homes due to the rising cost of fuel.
Pauline Scrace, from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, suffers from bone disease osteoporosis and, despite the cold weather making her symptoms worse, has to turn her heating off due to rising bills. The 61-year-old, who cares for her two grandsons, aged 12 and 17, said winter was a difficult time.
“I get my electricity and gas bills at the same time and although the £200 winter fuel payment helps, it doesn’t cover it,” she said.
“I really struggle in the winter. I have my heating on from about 5pm to 9pm. I try and cut down my food bills so I can keep the heating on for a bit longer.”
Asked what she thought of the Surviving Winter campaign, she said: “For people that are really well off it wouldn’t hurt to donate some of the £200, although I wouldn’t want to take it from anyone who needed it. I know there are people worse off than me.”