OLDER people living in fuel poverty in Dorset are so stressed and anxious about being in debt to energy companies they are left in an emotional crisis, says an advice expert.
Dorset Community Foundation’s Surviving Winter appeal, run in partnership with Citizens Advice in Dorset, distributes £200 grants to pensioners and, people aged 60 and over with a disability, who are living in fuel poverty. The appeal also helps the Citizens Advice energy team identify people at risk so they can offer the grants, as well as a range of other support.
Dan Fancy, Energy Team Manager at Citizens Advice, said the people he and his team advise are often suffering health conditions and trapped in a spiral of debt caused by rising prices. “People choosing between heating and eating is actually a lot more common than you’d think,” he said.
“The poverty we see in Dorset in this day and age is quite shocking. We’ve got people who are not eating and staying in freezing cold homes that are having an adverse effect on their physical health, let alone their mental health.”
He said he and his team talk to people worn down by the stress of not being able to afford their heating and being chased for multiple debts. “It’s the not knowing where your next week’s food is going to come from and wondering whether your benefit money will immediately be taken out by a bill,” he said. “The stress of it all, combined with physical toll it’s taking, is heart-breaking.
“It’s not uncommon to speak to clients at the end of their tether, including in extreme cases, having suicidal thoughts. It’s really sad and difficult because there are all these factors at play.”
The £200 Surviving Winter grant helps alleviate the stress, said Dan. “It’s the difference between putting the heating on over winter or not for quite a lot of people,” he said. “When we explain to people about the extra support via the Surviving Winter Grant you can hear the relief in their voices. Suddenly they can then start focusing on other issues, so it makes a massive difference.”
He said he witnesses people visibly lifted by the help they receive from Citizens Advice. “Any time you can provide clients with advice or help them access grants and additional support they’re so appreciative,” he said.
“People are often eligible for more support than they thought possible and through the Surviving Winter appeal, we are able to help desperate people to access the support they need, which is very rewarding.”
Dorset Community Foundation Chief Executive Grant Robson said the appeal, now in its 15th year, saves lives. “We know from the brilliant team at Citizens Advice that these grants are vital and the more we raise, the more people we can help,” he said.
“There’s a perception that, once we get to January, the warmer weather isn’t far away but for people living in fuel poverty, the stretch between January and April is the hardest because that’s when the bills are highest.
“We are appealing to people to be generous and help us make these long cold months more bearable for older people in such desperate conditions.”
Donate to the appeal here or send a cheque or bankers draft, made payable to Dorset Community Foundation, to The Surviving Winter Appeal, Dorset Community Foundation, The Spire, High Street, Poole, BH15 1DF.
People can also donate through a BACS Transfer via: Charities Aid Foundation Bank, Sort Code: 40-52-40, Account Number:00083897 ( Please use reference SW) or on 01202 670815.
Anyone needing energy support from Citizens Advice can contact it on 01929 775500 or at energy@edpcitizensadvice.org.uk.
Pictured: Top centre, Citizens Advice Energy Team Manager Dan Fancy. Top left, a Citizens Advice energy adviser helping a client
