Cost-of-living Crisis
The Facts
Our mission is to support organisations to open their doors and provide a warm welcome for those struggling to heat their homes this winter.
16.4 million people will be in fuel poverty this winter
Despite the Government's energy announcement, millions of households will still be in fuel poverty this winter, with people with disabilities, elderly people, children, people from ethnic minorities, and low-income households amongst the most affected groups.
There is an estimated £800 gap between the overall cost-of-living and package for families on means-tested benefits, meaning many will have to look to their local community and churches for support.
There is an estimated £800 gap between the overall cost-of-living and package for families on means-tested benefits, meaning many will have to look to their local community and churches for support.
7 Million
households will be in fuel poverty by the 1st October 2022
Double
The number of households will be in fuel poverty compared to 2020
11,400 deaths
are caused by cold homes
1 in 10 excess
Winter deaths are attributable to fuel poverty
£3.6 million
Is the estimated cost of fuel poverty to the NHS every day
More people
Die from cold homes than they do alcohol, Parkinson’s Disease or traffic accidents
The following groups of people are disproportionately affected by the cost-of-living crisis:
Children are disproportionately affected by the cost-of-living crisis
Development
Children living in cold homes are more likely to experience mental health problems, slower physical growth and cognitive development, and have higher risks of respiratory problems, long term ill- health and disability.
Breathing
Children living in cold homes are twice as likely to suffer from chest and breathing problems as children living in warm homes.
NHS
£27,000 is the cost to the NHS every day of children experiencing ill-health due to cold homes.
People with disabilities are disproportionately affected by the cost-of-living crisis
Serious financial difficulty
Over a million disabled households in the UK are said to be in “serious financial difficulty” amid the cost-of-living crisis
Heating avoidance
2/3 of disabled households have already avoided turning on their heating this year
Twice as likely
Households with a disabled person present are more than twice as likely to be struggling
Elderly people are disproportionately affected by the cost-of-living crisis
Mortality
Cold homes have been found to contribute to a 30% increase in mortality in winter among people aged 75 years or older
Health issues
Respiratory, cardiovascular and circulatory disease, and poorer mental health have all been found to be directly linked to cold homes, especially in older people
Low-income households are disproportionately affected by the cost-of-living crisis
Freeze gap
The prime minister’s energy price freeze still leaves low-income families facing a gap of £783 between the overall rise in the cost of living and the support package for families on means-tested benefits from the Government
Disadvantaged Neighbourhoods
75% of households in disadvantaged neighbourhoods will be in fuel poverty this winter, with some neighbourhoods reaching close to every household in the area
People from ethnic minorities are disproportionately affected by the cost-of-living crisis
Serious Financial Difficulty
BAME (Black and Minority Ethnic) households will experience a 1.6 times higher average increase in the cost-of-living than their white counterparts
In comparison
1 in 5 minority ethnic households currently are currently food insecure, compared to 1 in 10 white households