Category Archives: Carers

Carers fear the fuel bills

Fuel poverty affects a quarter of UK’s households as bills soar and pay freezes

Exclusive: Figure rises from a fifth of homes last year, meaning coalition will fail to meet its legal duty to end fuel poverty by 2016

 

Fuel poverty is defined as when a household spends 10% or more of its income on gas and electricity bills.

A quarter of all households in England and Wales have now fallen into fuel poverty following an autumn of steep increases in energy bills and stagnating incomes, the Guardian can reveal.

The dramatic increase in fuel poverty – up from nearly one in five households last year to one in four now – will be highly embarrassing to the government, which has a statutory obligation to eliminate fuel poverty by 2016. It now looks certain to fail to meet its legal duty.

Previous government projections forecast that this year would see 4.1m households in fuel poverty, which is defined as those who have to spend 10% or more of their income to achieve adequate warmth and light.

Fakenham Christmas Tree Festival

Church Christmas festival is year’s highlight

 


The highlight of the church year in Fakenham, its renowned Christmas Tree Festival, starts today (December 1) from 10am to 8pm until December 8.
Fakenham Xmas tree FestivalThe Festival, which attracted over 18,000 people last year, lights up the church with 90 Christmas trees, each decorated for one of the 78 charities taking part.

Entrance is free, but organizers suggest you take a bag of coins so that you can donate money at your favourite charity trees. Charities include Wells Community Hospital Trust, Cancer Research UK, St John Ambulance, Royal British Legion, The Salvation Army and the EDP We Care Appeal.

MP says “Carers are fulfilling a vital role in our society”

MP lends his support to carers’ rights

Mark Lancaster MPMark Lancaster, MP for Milton Keynes North, has lent his support to Carers UK’s national carers’ rights campaign, urging people caring for ill or disabled loved ones to access all the support they are entitled to.