Rachel Reeves will need to write a very big cheque to the NHS. (Image: Getty)
We’re now heading into the fourth winter of sky-high energy prices. And every year we hear tragic stories of people living in cold damp homes.
For older people, living in these conditions is especially dangerous as it can make preexisting health conditions worse.
Health professionals warn us that it can lead to people dying.
Longer term, these problems can be fixed by energy efficiency measures and bringing down the cost of energy.
We know the Government is taking action on this and we welcome what they are doing.
But this doesn’t help people this winter.
The warnings from medics and health charities underline why the cuts to are so dangerous.
It increases the number of older people now likely to live in these cold,
damp – and even mouldy – conditions.
So there is a very human cost to this crisis. And as more pressure is put on the NHS there is a financial cost too.
In 2024, the cost of older people living in cold damp homes could run to £1.5bn a year. And as the Express reveals today, some of this could be attributed directly to the decision.
What’s worrying is that these sums are almost certainly an underestimate.
And it is only the tip of the iceberg.
The sums don’t include the financial costs to local authorities, care homes, social services or charities who help those affected. All of these groups help older people recovering from illness and pick up the pieces when the NHS can’t cope.
If the Chancellor won’t row back on the cuts to winter fuel payments, she’ll need to write a very big cheque to the NHS to cover the cost of her decision.