§ 22. Mr. BaileyTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what measures are being taken to combat fuel poverty among pensioners. [19163]
§ Mr. McCartneyWe have just published our Fuel Poverty Strategy. Measures which will help pensioners in particular include maintaining the winter fuel payment at £200 for the rest of this Parliament, improvements to the Home Energy Efficiency Scheme, and the introduction of pension credit from 2003.
The Home Energy Efficiency Scheme provides grants of up to £2,000 for comprehensive packages of insulation and heating improvements, including central heating systems for the over-60s.