‘Disgrace’ of veterans suffering fuel poverty
SHEFFIELD CITY Region mayor Dan Jarvis has said it is a “disgrace” that veterans who served the country with honour “should be forced to choose between heating or eating”.
Mr Jarvis, who is also Labour MP for Barnsley, joined officials from fuel poverty charity National Energy Action and senior council officials at Barnsley Markets yesterday to give advice to the local forces
community about the Forces for Warmth project.
Living in fuel poverty, where a household’s income doesn’t cover the costs needed to stay warm and well, can exacerbate mental and physical health conditions, as well as contributing to social isolation.
It represents a particular risk for those in the ex-service community who are already more likely to suffer from mental
and physical health conditions that can be negatively affected by living in a cold home.
The Forces for Warmth project, which runs until June, aims to alleviate the impact of living in a cold home to the serving and ex-service community and their families via direct support and through training delivered to frontline staff working directly with the forces community.
To date it has provided face to face advice to over 1,000 veterans and provided crisis grants including emergency topup payments, white goods and new boilers to nearly 200 eligible individuals.
Mr Jarvis also helped launch Barnsley Council’s Warm and Safe Homes campaign, focused on promoting affordable warmth interventions and supporting Barnsley veterans to keep warm
and well this winter. He said: “From tips to help reduce damp and condensation to advice on home insulation and the launch of the Barnsley Community Energy Tariff, Barnsley Council are doing great work supporting those at risk of fuel poverty.
“It is a disgrace that veterans who have served our country with honour should be forced to choose between heating or eating.”