Around 7.7 million UK households are likely to struggle with affording to pay their heating bills this winter, a new report has found.
According to new research published by the Resolution Foundation yesterday (1 October), a shocking 37% of all households in England suffered fuel stress within the past 12 months, and that situation was found to be the most stark for single parent households – with it meaning that three in four (77%) are likely to struggle with payments this upcoming winter.
56% of couples with children are also likely to experience fuel stress, the report found, which is more than twice the rate seen among households with pensioners at 24%.
‘Cold Comfort’ examines the extent of fuel stress – which is defined as families needing to spend more than 10% of their income, after housing costs, on heating their homes – across Britain, and looks at how policy can support these households.
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New RF analysis reveals how non-pensioners, especially families with children, are more likely than pensioners to be in fuel stress.
The organisation says the study is particularly relevant in the context of the Government‘s recent decision to end the universal Winter Fuel Payments (WFP) for pensioners.
The decision to scale back on the WFP – which were first introduced back in 1997 – means one million pensioners will be no longer eligible for the payment, and this is therefore expected to create financial hardship for some low-income pensioners, which is why Resolution Foundation’s report is calling on the Chancellor to introduce new support in her upcoming Budget that will look to help all households experiencing fuel stress.
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Under the current scheme, WFP recipients are automatically given a £25 payment when their local temperatures drop below freezing for a week or more.
As these particular payments are not only tied to income via benefit eligibility, but also to energy consumption as a function of being conditional on local temperature, the organisation is suggesting to the Government that this existing scheme could be expanded, both by increasing eligibility and by raising the temperature at which payments are triggered.
New reports finds 7.7 million UK households are expected to struggle with heating bills this winter / Credit: pxhere
Several other measures have also been suggested by the organisation as potential recommendations for the Government.
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Alex Clegg, who is the Economist at the Resolution Foundation, said these stark statistics illustrate how “poorly targeted Winter Fuel Payments are”, and why “alternative support” will be needed this winter.
“Couples with children are more than twice as likely to experience fuel stress as pensioner households,” they explained, “so any new support should not be limited to pensioners.”
“Reforming and expanding Cold Weather Payments offers a viable quick-fix solution to help keep households warm when the mercury drops this winter, but looking beyond this winter, the Government should prioritise developing a social tariff and investing in energy efficiency for our homes.
“This would help to ensure that vulnerable families are insulated from future energy shocks, whatever their age or circumstances.”
Featured Image – Pixabay
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Mandatory eye tests could be introduced for drivers over 70 in the UK
Emily Sergeant
Mandatory eye testing could be introduced in the UK as part of the first road safety strategy in more than a decade.
According to Government statistics, approximately four people die on Britain’s roads every day, with thousands more seriously injured each year, but through targeted action on speeding, drink and drug driving, not wearing seat belts, and mobile phone use, it’s expected that thousands of these tragedies can be prevented.
In fact, the new road safety strategy sets out an ‘ambitious’ plan to reduce deaths and serious injuries on Britain’s roads by 65% before 2035.
With the number of older drivers continuing to rise year on year, in line with Britain’s ageing population, a consultation on mandatory eyesight testing for those over 70 will be launched, the Government has announced, while options for cognitive testing will also be developed to protect all road users.
Mandatory eye tests could be introduced for drivers over 70 in the UK / Credit: David Travis (via Unsplash)
On top of this, measures to tackle inexperience behind the wheel by introducing a minimum learning period for learner drivers, and lowering the alcohol limit for driving for the first time since 1976 to help prevent causes of collisions, are also to be discussed.
This strategy sets out a new approach to reverse a decade of ‘stalled progress’, according to the Department for Transport (DfT).
It includes the internationally recognised Safe System approach, which acknowledges that while human error is inevitable, deaths and serious injuries are not, and rather than placing responsibility solely on individual drivers, the system ensures that road design, vehicle safety, enforcement and education work together to protect all road users.
We've launched a new Road Safety Strategy, aiming to cut deaths and serious injuries on Britain’s roads by 65% by 2035.
Key points include: – tougher action on drink driving – minimum learning periods for learner drivers – mandatory eye tests for older drivers
— Department for Transport (@transportgovuk) January 7, 2026
A new Road Safety Investigation Branch will be set up to analyse collision patterns and inform prevention strategies.
The branch will draw on linked police and healthcare data to identify root causes and make sure any interventions are more effectively targeted.
Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, described the strategy as a ‘turning point’, adding that: “We are taking decisive action to make our roads safer for everyone, from new drivers taking their first lessons to older motorists wanting to maintain their independence.
“The measures we are announcing today will save thousands of lives over the coming decade.
“Every life lost on our roads is a tragedy that devastates families and communities. For too long, progress on road safety has stalled.”
Featured Image – Andrea Piacquadio (via Pexels)
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How and where to recycle or donate your Christmas tree in Manchester | 2026
Emily Sergeant
The new year is here, and the ’12 days of Christmas’ are up… which means it’s time for a fresh start.
Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve both feel like things of the past now, and for most of us, this is our first proper week back at work too, which means (if you haven’t already) it’s time to tackle the task of taking down and putting away all the festive decorations – even if it is one of the dullest times of the year and it signals that the magic of Christmas is over.
For those of us that opt for a real Christmas tree though, the end of the year always brings one question – now what do we do with it?
Manchester City Council has aimed to answer that very question by providing residents with a handful of different ways to recycle their Christmas trees to make sure they’re put to good use and don’t go to waste or get dumped.
Here’s the different options.
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Recycle it in your food and garden waste bin
You can recycle your Christmas tree by cutting it up and placing it in your food and garden waste bin, but you’ll need to make sure you take the following steps before doing so.
Remove all decorations and fairy lights
Take off the base or wooden block if your tree has one
Make sure the trunk is not thicker than your wrist. Wood thicker than your wrist is too big and can’t be put in the garden and food bin. Large trunks and wooden bases can be taken to a recycling centre.
Donate it to charity
Did you know you can donate your Christmas trees to charity? That’s right – for residents living in Manchester, all you’ll need to do is register your tree with national charity JustHelping, along with a donation towards the collection, and you can help a local hospice or charitable cause in the city-region.
The money raised will go to good causes in the area, including Moya Cole Hospice (previously St Anne’s Hospice), Francis House, and We Love Manchester.
You can find more information and register your tree here.
It’s time to take down and recycle our Christmas trees for another year / Credit: Myriam Olmz | Tanbir Mahmud (via Unsplash)
Take it to a local drop-off point
You can drop your real tree throughout January at:
Angel Meadow Park (entrance Old Mount Street) – M4 4HA
Wythenshawe Park and Gardens Athletics Track – M23 0PH
Heaton Park (Middleton Road entrance) – M8 4NB
Boggart Hole Clough (near the Visitor Centre) – M9 7DH
Patchett Street, off Hyde Road in Ardwick – M12 4RY
Bring it to your local recycling centres
And finally, wherever you live in Manchester, you can take your real Christmas tree – and even your artificial tree that is beyond reuse – to your local recycling centre for free of charge, but it’s worth noting that if you’re planning on using a van, pick-up truck, or a twin-axle trailer to dispose of your tree, then you’ll probably need to apply for a permit.
You can find information about your nearest recycling centre here.
Are you elsewhere in Greater Manchester? Recycle for Greater Manchester (R4GM) has teamed up with local councils and charities across the region to provide Greater Manchester residents in all 10 boroughs with several different options for either recycling or donate their old Christmas trees.
Emily Sergeant -
2nd October 2024 
