Following the finding, Phil asked the
Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps would be taken to
amend policy in response to the overpayment. The government response was that
no action would be taken in response to the findings until December 2015.
Following the response, Phil raised the
issue of fuel poverty directly with the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, during
her visit to Phil’s office in Coatbridge on Monday 14 September 2015. The First
Minister shares Phil’s concerns regarding fuel poverty, and has assured him
that the Scottish Government will be taking action on the issue.
Nearly 1 million people in Scotland are
considered to be in fuel poverty, representing a staggering 40% of the
population.
Commenting on the lack of action from the
UK Government, Phil said:
“The lack
of response from this Tory government to the overpayment scandal is absolutely
shocking. This government is turning a blind eye to fuel poverty, and
demonstrating yet again that they do not care about both regular working people
and the most vulnerable in society. For the nearly 1 million people in fuel
poverty in Scotland representing 40% of the population, the fact
that the Tory government does not feel the need to take immediate action in
response to this finding is a slap in the face. Waiting until December to take
action, when many in fuel poverty will again have presumably be over-paying for
heating for months, is completely unacceptable.”