Winter fuel payments save lives

Commenting on reports that the Government is set to cut some winter fuel

payments, Dave Prentis, General Secretary of UNISON, the UK’s largest public

service union, said:

“We cannot begin to call ourselves a civilised society if the Con-Dem

Government allows elderly people to sit in the cold or freeze to death in

their homes.

“They must think again if they are seriously considering cutting these

payments, particularly to the very old, because they save lives. Most

elderly people need to have their heating on higher and for longer and that

costs a lot of money. It is appalling to think that frail and elderly will

be left in the cold, because they are too frightened of running up bills

they cannot afford to pay.”