Survey finds that one in five older people will live in one room this winter
The British Gas Help the Aged Partnership
The British Gas Help the Aged Partnership highlights the disgrace of the UK’s winter deaths through campaigning and works to deliver practical advice and support to disadvantaged older people.
Since the British Gas Help the Aged Partnership began campaigning on the issue of avoidable winter deaths, the Government has made some progress in tackling the underlying issues, including a promise to increase investment in schemes such as Warm Front by £300 million over three years
The Government will have spent £1billion on its heating and insulation scheme Warm Front by 2010. The scheme has been reformed recently so that now all eligible households receive assistance with the installation of better central heating systems, insulation and energy efficiency measures.
In 2003 the Partnership set up a Benefits Advice Programme, which now runs in 26 locations throughout the UK, helping older people on low incomes or poor health access their benefits.
During the campaign four new Benefits Advice Programmes will be launched in Stevenage, North Greenwich and North Bexley, Luton and Thanet and open days will be held at existing Programmes in Neath, North Lincolnshire and Glasgow.