The Scottish Government has pledged to deliver financial support for those living with a terminal illness – estimated around 15,400 in Scotland.
The announcement follows a letter from Consumer Scotland, whose research suggests that households where a member has a disability or health condition are twice as likely to report difficulty keeping up with energy bills, alongside Marie Curie research reporting that energy bills for the terminally ill can rise by as much as 75% after diagnosis.
The rise in costs can be attributed to additional essential energy use as opposed to a non terminally ill patient, including an enhanced heating regime to manage conditions and the cost to run medical devices at home.
Current support schemes depend on income, not taking into account the cause behind the rise in energy use.
Sam Ghibaldan, Consumer Scotland Chief Executive, said: “People approaching the end of life can face significantly higher and unavoidable energy costs. Living without sufficient support can significantly undermine the ability to meet essential needs, including staying warm, dry and clean which in turn can accelerate health deterioration and compound distress.
That’s why we welcome the Scottish Government commitment to provide additional support for the terminally ill to account for the impact of their higher essential energy expenditure. We will now work with the Scottish Government and other key organisations to deliver this commitment to provide terminally ill consumers with the help they need to maintain wellbeing and reduce the likelihood of energy debt and self-disconnection.”
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