The first evidence of the impact on vulnerable groups, such as the elderly and low income families, caused by the rising costs of fuel has become apparent

According to a coalition of Barnardo's, Children in Scotland, Child Poverty Action Group, Capability Scotland and Save the Children almost 100,000 children in Scotland are living in homes where families cannot afford to pay energy bills.

They charities group assert that this number is effectively double the situation four years ago and coincides with a rise during the same period of electricity prices by more than 60% and gas prices by more than 90%.

The charities are campaigning for energy companies to show "corporate social responsibility" by increasing support to low income families with children living in "fuel poverty", where more than 10% of household income is spent on energy bills.

A spokesman for Barnardo's Scotland, Tam Baillie, told BBC Scotland:

"For those living in fuel poverty, the consequences are misery, discomfort, ill health and debt. No Scottish child should live in a cold, damp home. And no parent should have to choose between feeding their kids and keeping them warm."

Disturbingly the research also shows that disabled people and families with a disabled child are over-represented in the number living in fuel poverty.

The position in Scotland is likely to be replicated in the other Celtic countries. A Save the Children report three years ago found that children in Wales were more likely to suffer from poverty than in any other part of the UK.

Meanwhile despite the benefits of Ireland's so called 'Tiger economy' in 2004, according to the EU Survey on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC), 79,000 children (9.5% of all children under 16) in the twenty six counties were living in consistent poverty.

A further 175,000 children under 16 (21%) were at risk of poverty - living in families whose income was below 60% of median income. The situation in the north of Ireland was even worse.

The one consistent factor as vulnerable groups face a difficult winter is that governents in Britain, Ireland and the Isle of Man are doing little to eleviate the dangers that 'fuel poverty' poses

J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League

05/11/06

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