§ Lord Ashley of Stokeasked Her Majesty's Government:
What percentage of those in fuel poverty are (a) households containing a pensioner, (b) households containing a disabled person receiving the higher rate or medium rate care components of disability living allowance or the higher mobility rate; and (c) households containing a disabled person receiving either of the higher rates of disability living allowance. [HL1198]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville)The latest available figures indicate that in England in 1998, 29 per cent of households headed by an older couple or a single person over the age of 60 were in fuel poverty in 1998. This is based on fuel poverty being defined as when a household needs to spend more than 10 per cent of its income (including housing benefit and income support for mortgage interest) on fuel in order to maintain a satisfactory heating regime. When fuel poverty is defined using income excluding housing benefit or income support for mortgage interest, 35 per cent of households headed by an older couple or a single person over the age of 60 were in fuel poverty in England in 1998.
Information on fuel poverty is not available split by the rate of disability living allowance. However, Figures are available on the percentage of households receiving the different components of the disability living allowance that are in fuel poverty. The latest available figures for England relate to 1996 and these are given in the table below. More up-to-date figures are not available at present.
Fuel poverty is a devolved matter and therefore it is for the respective assemblies and Parliament to report on the situation in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.
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Households in receipt1 of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) in fuel poverty in England in 1996 Fuel poverty defined using income including housing benefit and ISMI2 Fuel poverty defined using income excluding housing Benefit and ISMI3 Percentages Numbers (thousands) Percentages Numbers (thousands) Households in receipt of DLA care component 18 66 24 88 Households in receipt of DLA mobility component 24 159 32 208 Households in receipt of either care or mobility components of DLA or both 22 183 30 249 Source: English House Condition Survey 1996. 1 The information in the table is based on the head of household or their partner receiving the disability living allowance. 2 Fuel poverty defined as when a household needs to spend more than 10 per cent of its income (including housing benefit and
income support for mortage interest) on fuel in order to maintain a satisfactory heating regime. 3 Fuel poverty defined as when a household needs to spend more than 10 per cent of its income (excluding housing benefit and income support for mortage interest) on fuel in order to maintain a satisfactory heating regime.