Lunn makes progress on his radical fuel poverty plan

1.31.03pm UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 9th Oct 2008

Alliance MLA Trevor Lunn

Alliance MLA Trevor Lunn has today met with an official from Help the Aged to advance his plan to tackle fuel poverty among older people. Earlier this week Mr Lunn unveiled his proposal, saying that a fund should be set up to allocate money from those who are given a winter fuel payment, but do not need it, to older people who are in real need. He stated that those who can do without and those who do not collect the payment should donate it to a fund established and administered by an older people's rights group.

The Lagan Valley MLA stated: "I am pleased with the progress made in today's meeting.

"Help the Aged recognise that these proposals could have the potential to make a difference for older people and they indicated that they would support such a scheme and refer people to it.

"There are many people like myself who still work and can manage without the winter fuel payments, so there should be a vehicle whereby people can put this money to good use and help older people who really need it to heat their homes.

"Northern Ireland is known for its generosity and I believe that I can help pioneer a project that other regions of the UK can learn from. I am planning to meet other organisations in the coming days to advance these proposals."

ENDS