News Article
Age concern life insurance: Government must act on fuel
Age Concern life insurance provider has expressed concern over fuel poverty in the UK.
According to the life insurance provider, rising gas and electricity prices will push more and more elderly people towards not being able to afford their heating bills.
Figures from Age Concern suggest that up to 5.5 million homes - including those of all pensioners - will struggle with this problem in 2008.
The life insurance firm is therefore asking the government to introduce mandatory social tariffs - providing financial aid to vulnerable energy customers.
Age Concern director general, Gordon Lishman, commented: "Like the abolition of the 10p tax rate and the impact of the credit squeeze, rising energy prices are causing significant pain and concern among pensioners and others on low incomes.
"We [Age Concern] have written to the prime minister to ask him to hold an urgent summit to get the government ' s fuel poverty strategy back on track."