Disability benefits for millions ‘to be rendered worthless’ by soaring energy bills

Exclusive: Charities warn disabled households are among hardest hit by energy crisis, which could see 91% of their benefits eaten by cost of bills

Millions of Britons with disabilities or long-term illnesses are to have their benefits wiped out by soaring bills, new figures reveal.

Energy bills are expected to reach an estimated £5,386 per year by January, but benefits to help the 2.9 million who receive personal independence payment (PIP) are not due to rise until April 2023.

Charities are warning that disabled people will be among the hardest-hit groups over winter as a result, and are already being forced to cut back on carers amid spiralling living costs.

Of those who claim PIP – the main disability benefit for working-age individuals – 590,435 do not receive any other type of welfare payment. As of April, the mean weekly PIP award was £113.2, equivalent to £5,887.96 per year.

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It means that, from January, PIP claimants will be hit by energy bills representing 91 per cent of their annual payments, according to Labour analysis. Those with the most complex needs rely on care services that require large amounts of electricity, such as wheelchairs and feeding devices.

The disability equality charity Scope said that people have already “started to reduce or stop the amount of care and support they pay for – and it’s only going to get worse,” adding that “life costs more for disabled people”.

Labour’s shadow work and pensions secretary, Jonathan Ashworth, said: “Disabled people face a devastating winter if ministers allow these energy price rises to go ahead.

“Benefits supposed to help people with the extra cost of their disability will be rendered worthless by energy bill rises. This zombie government has nothing to say on supporting disabled people through the coming months. It is a disgrace.”

Rosey Clements has complex disabilities and needs (Clements family)

It comes as new research from the disability charity Sense shows that rising costs for food and energy have placed nearly three quarters (72 per cent) of families with a disabled child or adult into debt.

Out of 1,000 surveyed households, a further two in five told the charity that they will go without food this winter to save money.

Last week, Ofgem announced that the energy price cap for a typical household will be £3,549 per year from October 2022. This means that 60 per cent of an average PIP award will be wiped out on energy bills, according to a Labour analysis.

But Cornwall Insight’s latest forecast suggests the price cap will reach £5,386 per year from January 2023, placing even greater strain on disabled people with high energy demands.

Rosey Clements, from Norwich, has complex disabilities and, due to a lack of mobility, struggles to regulate body heat. The 23-year-old eats via a feed pump, sleeps in an electric bed, uses an electric hoist, and is monitored throughout the night by two cameras.

Her mother, Yvette, said: “A disabled household faces many additional costs. For us, the big one is energy, which with rising costs is really putting the pressure on.

“She [Rosey] has to be bathed instead of showered due to her condition, and because she’s not mobile, she doesn’t regulate heat well, so we have no choice but to have the heating on to keep her warm — or the fans on to keep her cool when it’s hot.”

Geordie with his father Keith Butler and Keith’s partner, Helen (Butler family/Sense)

Labour’s analysis also shows that the rising cost of living crisis will cancel out the Attendance Allowance payment for recipients. The benefit is given to people over state pension age who need help with personal care or supervision because of illness.

The mean weekly Attendance Allowance award is £78.68 (equivalent to £4,091.36 per year). Under the estimated January price cap, 1.4 million claimants face energy bills costing 132 per cent of their annual benefit.

Similarly, families with a disabled child will face bills costing 116 per cent of their disability living allowance (DLA) — a benefit for 590,984 children who have care or mobility needs. The mean weekly DLA award is £89.07 (equivalent to £4,631.64 per year).

These figures likely underestimate the impact of the energy price hikes, because disabled people typically have higher-than-average energy needs associated with managing health conditions.

All government benefits are uprated in line with inflation, but any increase won’t be implemented until April 2023 — by which point the worst effects of winter and the cost of living crisis will have passed.

Tom Marsland, policy manager at Scope, said last week’s price cap announcement “confirmed disabled people’s fears” for the winter ahead.

“Life already costs more for disabled people,” he said. “Now the cost of charging a wheelchair or using a breathing machine will have almost trebled in a year.

“Government support specifically targeted at disabled people isn’t going to touch the sides.

“We’ve been inundated with calls from disabled people who don’t know which way to turn and feel like they are being punished for using more energy.

“The government must intervene now. They should start by doubling the support package, and look at bringing in discounted tariffs for disabled customers who need more energy.”

Jonathan Ashworth warns disabled people face a ‘devastating’ winter ahead (Supplied)

Keith Butler and his partner Helen live in Redditch, in Worcestershire, and are full-time carers for their 21-year-old son Geordie, who has Charge syndrome, autism and is deafblind.

“Despite us trying to save and be careful, we don’t have a choice about the extra costs we face to support Geordie,” Keith said.

“One of our biggest expenses is electricity. Geordie is fed through an electric pump, which has to be on charge from lunch through to the evening, every single day. You can’t miss a day, otherwise he can’t eat. Also because of Geordie’s sight, we need to have lights on throughout the day.”

Sarah White, head of policy at the charity Sense, said: “Everyone is affected by rising prices, but disabled households are one of the hardest hit because of their circumstance.

“Many are in poverty, less likely to be in full-time work and facing additional costs for essential goods and services, like charging their wheelchair or running an oxygen machine.”

A Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) spokesperson said: “We understand how difficult current pressures are for people with disabilities and their carers, that is why we have put a strong financial support system in place including PIP, universal credit and carer’s allowance for the millions affected.

“We recognise living with a long-term illness or disability can impact on living costs, and as part of our £37bn package of support, we are supporting 6 million disabled people with an extra £150 payment, landing in bank accounts from 20 September.

“Eight million low-income households will also be receiving at least £1,200 of direct payments this year and we urge people to check they are getting all the help to which they are entitled.”