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LOCAL POLITICIANS HIGHLIGHT HOT TIPS

LOCAL POLITICIANS HIGHLIGHT HOT TIPS

Mr Pete Wishart MP, Member of Parliament for Perth and North Perthshire, and Ms Roseanna Cunningham MSP, Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Perth constituency, are urging constituents, particularly the elderly to keep warm, healthy and safe this winter and have highlighted the Hot Tips booklet being promoted by Age Concern Scotland and Help the Aged Scotland.

Speaking today (Monday) Ms Cunningham said:

"Fuel poverty is a particular problem for older people in Scotland with the latest figures showing that 58% of single pensioners and 34% of pensioner couples spend more than 10% of their disposable income on energy costs.

"The extreme setereotype is of an elderly person unable to heat their home at all dying of hypothermia but fuel poverty can affect folk in other ways too. Self-rationing of heating increases the risk of serious health problems such as strokes, heart attacks and cardiovascular problems.

"It is a disgrace that fuel poverty should be such a problem in energy rich Scotland and this is an absolutely concrete example of why we need to complete the powers of the Scottish Parliament to allow and enable an independent Scotland to properly tackle the very real issues that affect our people in their everyday lives."

Mr Wishart continued:

"Age Concern's research tells us last winter almost a third of people in Scotland aged 55 and over had turned down their heating because of concern about the cost. In the lower social group categories used in surveys such as this and which include the most deprived households, the percentage rose to 43%.

"Age Concern, Help the Aged and the Scottish Government have published a helpful booklet containing Hot Tips advising older people on what help is available to assist them in keeping warm, healthy and safe in winter.

"Anyone who hasn't yet received this booklet can contact my office and I will arrange for them to receive one."

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