Living On A Pittance

The basic state pension will rise by £2.97 a week this year to be worth £113.12 a week.  But despite a fall in inflation in December, prices are still rising more than   twice as fast as the rate of pay.  And although there was a slowdown in the increase of fruit and meat prices, hikes in gas and electricity bills as well as rising petrol prices mean householders will continue to feel the squeeze. There are more than five million UK households living in fuel poverty, with people spending more than ten per cent of their income on energy to keep   warm. 'Members of fuel poverty alliance Energy Bill Revolution have written to Prime Minister David Cameron demanding that party leaders act on the "national scandal".  Age UK said least three million older people were worried about staying warm  indoors this winter, with six million anxious about rising fuel bills.' (Daily Telegraph, 24 January) RD