GOVERNMENT MUST PLAN NOW TO GIVE SEVERELY DISABLED THE HELP THEY NEED TO STAY WARM THIS WINTER

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 31st Jul 2007

Greg Mulholland MP has continued his campaign for Winter Fuel Payments for the severely disabled by co-sponsoring a motion in Parliament, which calls upon the Government to extend the winter fuel payment to cover these vulnerable people.

Greg became involved in the issue after being contacted by Karen Pinder, who his a full-time carer for her son Matthew, who is just 21 years old but, as a result of his severe disabilities faces huge difficulties in staying warm in winter. Indeed, Karen is often forced to keep the heating on for over 20 hours a day in the constant battle to prevent him from becoming ill.

Commenting Greg said:

"How can the Government justify giving winter fuel payments to those over 60 at particular risk in the winter months because of the cold, but not to those severely disabled, or terminally and critically ill under 60 who are at exactly the same risk?

"The current benefits these families receive to spend on heating is nowhere near enough, it makes no allowance for the extra costs they face in the winter.

"It means that families like the Pinders are force to borrow money just to make ends meet and try to stay warm in the winter.

"Keeping warm is a basic human need. It is also essential to avoiding what are, particularly to the seriously disabled, potentially devastating illnesses.

"The Government must recognise this and must plan now to give the severely disabled, and the terminally and critically ill, the help they need to stay warm this winter."