Call For The Executive To Help Older People Keep Warm

The Northern Ireland Pensioners Parliament is calling on the Executive to provide urgent help to older people struggling to keep warm by using extra funds promised by the Treasury in December.

Age Sector Platform is making the appeal as it launches the fourth year of the Parliament today in Belfast.

Michael Monaghan, Chair of the NI Pensioners Parliament, commented: "Since the Parliament began in 2011, the top concern of pensioners here has been keeping warm in winter. Above any other issue, older people are worried about the price of heating their home; and unfortunately, provisional figures from this year’s survey are telling a very similar story. This problem is not going away.

"Levels of fuel poverty are very high in Northern Ireland, particularly among pensioner households. We know that work is being done to address the energy efficiency of homes and develop a long term sustainable energy supply; however, this work is of little comfort to thousands of pensioners who are finding it tough now. That is why we are calling on the Northern Ireland Executive to use some of its additional funds to help pensioner households keep warm."

(CD/MH)