Keep well this winter
Keep Well This Winter is an annual campaign aimed at the over 60s. However, in today’s tough economic climate, we hope the information on these pages will be useful to everyone.
With winter almost upon us and escalating food and energy prices rarely out of the news, it’s hardly surprising that many people in Torfaen, especially older people, are viewing the coming months with concern.
Shockingly, every winter people in the UK die as a direct result of cold weather or as a result of ill health linked to cold, damp living conditions. Older people are particularly vulnerable, often because they can’t afford to heat their homes adequately.
Keep Well This Winter encourages people over 60 to keep warm, keep well and keep healthy. Local councils and health services organise campaigns providing information about the support that is available:
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financial help with installing new heating systems and home insulation
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energy efficiency advice
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help to maximise incomes
With average energy bills up by 40%, it is more important than ever that all Torfaen homes, whether privately owned or rented, are comfortable, well-heated and energy efficient.
“A lot of people will be severely hit by the increase in fuel prices,” said Wilf Bridges, 85, a member of Pontypool Older Person’s Forum. He said members of his generation typically lived economically and thriftily and were not wasteful, however many now had to rely on their adult children to help them pay their bills.
Mr Bridges has anecdotal evidence that the increasing differential between the state pension and the UK average wage has resulted in real hardship for many older people. Their struggle to keep warm throughout the winter months sometimes results in extreme measures like staying in bed for long periods of the day, or conversely, staying out all day to avoid heating their homes.
“I know people who catch a warm bus to Cwmbran, wander around warm shops for a few hours and come back again on a warm bus,” said Mr Bridges. “In this way people can enjoy a couple of hours of warmth, something that they can’t afford at home. How dreadful is that?”
He added that rising energy and food prices impacted disproportionately on older people; they were more susceptible to the cold (particularly those taking anticoagulants), missed out on discounted fuel tariffs linked to direct debit payments and their fixed weekly food budgets meant they were unable to take advantage of supermarket offers or bulk buying.
The sad irony is that every year in Wales, thousands of pounds worth of benefits are not claimed, with the result that many people simply do not have enough money to heat their homes and eat properly - and are often forced to choose between the two.
The Keep Well This Winter campaign is trying to change that situation by encouraging more people to claim the benefits and grants that are theirs by right and which, in some cases, are dependent on age and are not means-tested.
The Council believes that everyone living in the borough should enjoy an acceptable level of warmth in their home and is dedicating resources to ensure that older and vulnerable people are being identified and helped to claim all the benefits and grants that they are entitled to. The Revenue and Benefits Team organise annual Welfare and Warmth days at Pontypool and Cwmbran.
The Council’s Energy Manager works with the SE Wales Energy Advice Service and utility companies to ensure the best deals are available and the Affordable Warmth Officer can provide information about heating grants.
Care & Repair Torfaen works in partnership with the Council and other organisations to improve the housing conditions of older and vulnerable disabled people and will arrange for repairs and adaptations to be carried out and help people to access funding from sources like HEES.
Home-owners and tenants have been able to have new energy-efficient boilers or cavity wall insulation fitted at no cost.
The Council works with other local services, such as Age Concern Torfaen, Citizens Advice Bureau, Torfaen Credit Union and the Pension Service, to promote and provide benefits advice and debt management for those who do find themselves in financial difficulties.
Lewis Jones, Deputy Leader and Champion for Older People said, “I am concerned that the current economic climate will mean a difficult time ahead for people so I am very pleased that the Keep Well This Winter campaign provides information to help everyone in Torfaen.”