Disabled people in the North East may die from the cold this winter if the Government doesn't step up to help.
That's the stark warning from disability charities across the region as the true impact of the cost of living crisis starts to become clear. Inflation hit 9% in April as energy bills shot up in line with the new price cap, leaving many people worried about how to make ends meet.
An average of 9,700 deaths each year are already believed to be caused by living in a cold house, according to research by National Energy Action (NEA) and the environmental group E3G - a situation which could get worse next winter, with another jump in the energy price cap predicted.
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And local groups and activists say it's disabled people who are likely to be 'hardest hit'. Disabled people, and families with disabled children, often have higher energy needs, for a variety of reasons. They may be at home more, find it harder to stay warm, or need to power special equipment like hoists or powered wheelchairs.
Richard Boggie, development manager at Difference North East said: “We’re heading straight into another crisis where disabled people will be hardest hit.
"We have already paid a huge price during the pandemic, and now the cost of living crisis will hit disabled people hard. If the Government doesn’t provide more support then disabled people will suffer and die as a result, which seems incredible for a rich nation in 2022.”
The charities called on the Government to 'act now' by, for example, increasing benefits in line with inflation, or by scrapping or delaying repayments for the £200 electricity discount planned for the autumn.
Victoria Armstrong, chief executive of Disability North said: “We know that current benefit income levels will not be enough to sustain disabled people through this latest crisis. More needs to be done to ensure that the existing health problems people experience do not worsen because of the increase in the cost of living.”
It's not just energy bills that are proving a problem. Many families are finding themselves unable to put food on the table - and additional costs for energy, support, equipment and healthcare that many disabled people face may mean they're especially likely to face the stark choice between food and other essentials.
Hannah Finney, research and campaigns manager from Citizens Advice Newcastle, added: “Families are being squeezed from all sides: high inflation, low benefit levels and soaring energy bills. Many families are at financial breaking point.
"Right now we’re seeing rising demand for advice and support, including very high numbers of clients coming to us for crisis support such as food bank referrals and access to grants because they simply can’t pay the bills or put food on the table.”
The Government has insisted that help is available for those who need it. Chancellor Rishi Sunak has warned that he could not “protect people completely” from the cost of living squeeze, but the Prime Minister promised to “look at all the measures that we need” to get people “through to the other side” of the inflation spike.
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