Seniors face 'eat or heat' choice

Help the Aged says pensioners are making themselves ill with worry

Some pensioners have claimed they will be forced to chose whether to eat or heat their homes this winter.

They have blamed rising fuel costs and an increase in other household bills for the dilemma they are facing.

The Devon Pensioners' Action Forum has said about 35,000 people in the county are living below the poverty line.

The group said council tax payments used to make up the largest element of many pensioners' bills, but fuel and food costs were an increasing concern.

Bernard Endacott, from Silverton, said he and his wife sometimes choose beans on toast over a proper meal in order to save money.

Increased payments

The 67-year-old is a former sales representative who retired two years ago on a state pension and income from a small private scheme.

The charity Help the Aged said about 25% of all pensioners are making themselves ill with worry about their future as the cost of living rises.

It said 420,000 pensioners in the UK now live in "persistent poverty", with a further 200,000 plunging into "fuel poverty" in the past 12 months.

In a statement, the Department for Work and Pensions told BBC News the government's priority was to help the least well off pensioners.

It said it was spending £575m on increased winter fuel payments this year and was also working with energy companies to lower senior citizens' fuel bills.