Staying warm a basic requirement
Published Date:
08 October 2008
AS a result of the huge increases in the cost of oil and gas in recent months, more and more people are struggling to find the money to pay their home heating bills – and none more so than pensioners who are trying to make ends meet on limited incomes.
Although the winter fuel allowance of £250 for over 60s, rising to £400 for those who are more than 80 years old, is a welcome contribution, its value has been seriously diminished by recent price rises.
Even so, some of these benefit payments lie unclaimed and at present, according to Alliance MLA Trevor Lunn, are then being redirected by the Treasury into other unrelated areas.
The ability to stay warm in winter is a basic human requirement and the government should urgently look at ways of ensuring that this assistance is channelled to those in most need.
The full article contains 151 words and appears in n/a newspaper.
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Last Updated:
08 October 2008 9:06 AM
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Source:
n/a
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Location:
Belfast
