Fuel Poverty Killed 15,000 People Last Winter

An estimated 15,000 people died unnecessarily between December and March because they were living in homes they couldn’t afford to heat, new figures show. The news has led campaigners to hit out at what they claim is an inadequate Conservative pledge to help freezing people by insulating homes. Fuel poverty campaigners reckon the number of excess winter deaths surged last winter to 49,260, of which around 14,780 were due to people living in cold homes. The Energy Bill Revolution estimates that the average number of excess winter deaths over the previous five years was 27,830, so last winter saw an increase of 77 per cent above the five year average. Read more on the Independent website.

Planning Law Change 'Catastrophic' For Rural Areas

Proposed changes to planning policy would be "catastrophic" for rural areas, rural housing and planning authorities are warning. The government wants to scrap the requirement for developers to provide affordable housing on smaller developments. Campaign groups say that supplies of affordable housing would "dry up". The government argues that the change would remove red tape and encourage more house building. Read more on the BBC website.

Campaigners Unite To Fight Housing Benefit Cuts

More than 30 tenant, trade union and campaign groups are linking up to build a national umbrella campaign to fight cuts to housing benefit.  Initial plans from The Campaign for Benefit Justice, which will also oppose ‘attacks’ on other benefits, include protests aimed at Lord Freud, the welfare minister, and Iain Duncan Smith, secretary of state for work and pensions. The campaign will also stage a protest on Budget day and a summit in London. The 31 groups backing the campaign include Defend Council Housing and Disabled People Against Cuts campaigns and the trade unions Unite and the Public and Commercial Services Union.  Read more on the Defend Council Housing website.