Macmillan Responds To The Launch Of The Government's Warm Home Discount Consultation, UK

Commenting on the launch of the Warm Home Discount consultation, Mike Hobday, Head of Campaigns at Macmillan Cancer Support, said:


'We welcome the introduction of the Warm Home Discount which will help people at risk of fuel poverty to pay their fuel bills.


'With energy prices set to rise and freezing temperatures across the country it's more important than ever that vulnerable cancer patients are included in this new scheme.


'One in five (19%) people with cancer turn their heating off during the winter even though they need it on. It's unacceptable that cancer patients, who feel the cold more and spend long periods of time at home, are too scared to put the heating on because of rising fuel bills.


'The existing voluntary scheme offered by energy providers is not working as it only helps 7% of cancer patients in fuel poverty.


'We strongly urge the Government to ensure that vulnerable cancer patients, such as people who are terminally ill or undergoing treatment, qualify for this new mandatory scheme.'


Notes


The Department of Energy and Climate Change has today launched a consultation on a new mandatory social price support scheme called Warm Home Discount. The Warm Home Discount will obligate energy companies to provide a rebate on certain energy customer's fuel bills. This purpose of this consultation is to seek views on how the scheme should be structured and who should benefit. The consultation will be open until 14th January 2011.


Macmillan Cancer Support/RS Consulting (2010), Fuel poverty and cancer: survey of people with cancer found:


- Certain groups of cancer patients are particularly vulnerable to fuel poverty. These include those undergoing treatment (25%) and those on certain benefit, such as, housing benefit (47%) and council tax benefit (46%). The research also highlighted that 27% of cancer patients on disability living allowance and 40% with an annual household income of under ??20k are in fuel poverty


- 1 in 4 people with cancer undergoing treatment are fuel poor


- 7% of those in fuel poverty are on a social tariff


Macmillan's online survey of 974 people with cancer in the UK (2009) found:


- Seven in ten people under 55 experience a reduced income losing on average 50% (Macmillan Cancer Support


- 59% have used more fuel since their diagnosis


According to Macmillan's grants team 41% of people receiving a grant from Macmillan asked for help towards the cost of fuel in 2009.

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