Only 1 in 3 of UK\u2019s poorest children are benefitting from the government\u2019s Warm Home Discount, leaving as many as 2.6 million children out in the cold, new analysis from The Children\u2019s Society has found.<\/p>\n
As temperatures plummeted as low as -10c in part of England and Wales this winter, the Children\u2019s Society estimates that two thirds of the UK\u2019s 3.9 million children living in poverty are missing out on help from the Warm Home Discount.<\/p>\n
Although all low-income pensioners automatically get a \u00a3140 discount on winter fuel bills, poor families with children have to apply to energy suppliers, with no guarantee that they will receive the support they need.<\/p>\n
Analysis from The Children\u2019s Society found that families with children spend around \u00a31550 per year on average on their fuel bills – around \u00a3300 per year more on average than households without children. Ensuring low income families with children receive the Warm Home Discount would be a start in addressing this gap.<\/p>\n
The Children\u2019s Society has found that many poor families simply don\u2019t know they may be eligible for the Warm Home Discount, and that many of the most vulnerable families aren\u2019t getting the help they need. The charity is calling for the government to automatically entitle low-income families with children to the extra support with heating costs.<\/p>\n
Matthew Reed, Chief Executive of The Children\u2019s Society, said: \u201cLiving in a cold home puts children\u2019s health at risk. Parents are doing the best they can on stretched incomes but all too often they simply can\u2019t afford to put the heating on.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe government should be doing all it can to ensure that children have warm, dry homes. As energy costs rise, this support is needed more than ever.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"