Fuel relief for vulnerable 'underfunded by £1.5bn'

David Hencke, Westminster correspondent
Thursday January 30, 2003
The Guardian

Ministers have omitted to publish a Whitehall report warning them that they will fail by a huge margin to give 2.3 million of the poorest households enough money to keep warm in winter unless they raise spending by half over the next seven years.
Michael Meacher, the environment minister, and Brian Wilson, the energy minister, received a report from a government advisory body two months ago, warning that only 800,000 people will have enough help by 2010 - contrary to a government pledge given in November 2001.

Instead, ministers have told private contractors on the government's warm front programme, insulating homes at a cost of £2,000 each to reduce fuel bills, that the programme is to be cut by 15% from April because of a squeeze on Whitehall spending.

The report by the government's fuel advisory body, seen by the Guardian, says that the current £3bn allocated until 2010 to tackle the problem will need to rise to £4.5bn.

Under the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000, ministers must ensure that no household lives in fuel poverty by 2016, and draw up a strategy to eradicate it among the vulnerable by 2010.

Britain has one of the worst rates for winter deaths among the elderly and poor in Europe. It is estimated that between 30,000 and 60,000 people die unnecessarily every winter because they do not have enough money for fuel or live in draughty homes.

MPs and campaigners yesterday condemned the government for having kept the report secret, and for proposing fresh cuts.

Steve Webb, Liberal Democrat spokesman on poverty, said: "The government must publish these findings and do something about