Millions of children are living in fuel poverty

Various statistics both from the government as well as not-for profits such as The Children’s Society show that of the millions of people living in fuel poverty, many of them have children. Their families are struggling to pay for their heating bills and other needed items, such as food, and this is causing a national crisis. It is estimated that about 40% of the homes in fuel poverty have children living in them.

Many households in the UK are still faced with wage freezes and too many are still without a job, so the parent of the child needs to make the difficult choices over how to budget their income. With the ongoing benefit reductions and Universal Credit also presenting challenges, the struggle to for many people pay heating bills is growing.

Statistics from fuel providers and the government show that it costs about £1,400 to keep a family warm during the winter, and some families are paying ten to twenty percent of their income on those heating costs. So this is causing other hardships, as many people can’t afford to do that as their income needs to be spend on other needs.

This also does not reflect the number of families that are turning down the heating to save money, and many of these households also have children. This can put them at a health risk due to living in a cold environment, and this is leading to increased usage of NHS hospitals and strain on government health care.

The fuel poverty crisis is also causing other financial hardships. It is lending to hunger, as 45 percent of families on a low income with children state they are reducing food purchases to free up money for their heat. Others have cut back on medications. Almost 500,000 more are taking out a loan to pay for their gas bills during the winter, and this is leading to additional consumer debt and financial struggles.

Short term solutions to fuel poverty

There are options for households to explore, and government statistic also show about one million households are not applying for the Warm Home Discount rebate. This, and other schemes or local welfare benefits, can maybe even pay for energy bills for one to two months. So there is financial aid for the low income and poor.

Other options that people can look into include Warm Home Discount, and individuals facing poverty or those with children should call their fuel supplier to apply if they were not already enrolled. This will provide additional government aid to struggling households.

Most councils operate Local Welfare Assistance schemes, and this is central government funding that is available for residents of the borough or county. While funds are limited and all aid provided is at the discretion of the council or local authority, there may be pre-paid cards or other assistance for paying heating bills or utility arrears. Even if the local welfare runs out or ends, in some cases the council can refer the household to a loan, but it will be a much lower interest rate than some alternatives. They will try to prioritize homes with children as well.