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Britain: Millions of children at risk of energy poverty

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Underheated homes, increased stress on struggling households: children in Britain exposed to humanitarian, social and educational risks

Energy poverty in Britain will cause a ‘humanitarian crisis’ that will hit millions of childrenwhile soaring living costs could push three million people into absolute poverty, according to two studies released today.

Underheated homes, increased stress in struggling households: children in Britain they are exposed to humanitarian, social and educational risksaccording to a report by the Institute of Health Equity (IHE), a health disparities research institute.

“This kind of environment means thousands of people will die earlier than they should and, in addition to lung damage in children (in cold homes), toxic stress can permanently affect their brain development,” he summarizes. Michael Marmot, the director of this institute, in a statement he issued.

Without substantial government intervention, the institute fears a “major humanitarian crisis” will push more than half of UK households into energy poverty by January.

Regulated energy prices will increase by 80% from October in Britain, which is expected to push inflation above 13% by the end of the year, or more, while gas and electricity bills may rise further next year.

Real household disposable income (that is, adjusted for inflation) is set to fall by 10% overall over this year and next, in the biggest fall in living standards for a century, according to the think tank Resolution Foundation.

This corresponds to approx £3,000 less annually for an average household and “the crisis in living standards will extend well beyond this winter, into next year and into 2024,” adds the Resolution Foundation in a study it also released today.

The number of people “living in absolute poverty” will rise by 3 million to 14 million in total, according to the Resolution Foundation, which notes that a boost of tens of billions of pounds from the next government is inevitable (his successor of Prime Minister Boris Johnson will be announced on Monday).

The troubling figures “show the growing difficulties of the British economy”, said Hargreaves Lansdown analyst Suzanne Streeter, adding that the prospect of “such a bleak winter” today pushed sterling to a new low against the dollar since the pandemic. .

The front-runner in the British prime minister race, Liz Truss, has so far come out in favor of tax cuts, arguing that direct payments are just a “band-aid”.

However, Trass told The Sun today that if she becomes prime minister she will “offer immediate support to ensure people are not faced with unaffordable energy bills”.

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