Cost of living disability payments 'will hopefully help through Winter'
A disabled Scarborough man will be one of many who will get £150 grant from the Government in support this month
A Scarborough man with a disability says the cost of living payment will hopefully help through the Winter.
Martin Hope has a ruptured disc on his lower spine that presses on his sciatic nerve permanently, meaning he uses a mobility scooter and a walking stick.
He is one of many on disability benefits who will be getting an £150 grant from the Government in support later this month.
Martin said: "It's hard to say at the moment how much it will affect us because we don't know how much our energy bills are going to go up. We've just moved into a new place and we haven't been through a Winter there yet, so hopefully it will be enough.
"This Government's support is much better than it was under David Cameron. We were living on £130 a week for two of us and we just didn't have the heating on. We were sat in sleeping bags watching TV so this is much better the way they've gone about it this time.
"The energy cap needs to be put back down again. The gas companies have so much extra profit that I don't see why people should have to pay for their profits. It's just ridiculous really.
"The extra payment is going to be a massive help through Winter because with being disabled, you can't just say 'oh I'm cold, I'll go out for a walk or do exercise in the house to stay warm.' People like us just need to be able to switch the heating on and have it on probably higher than other people would do."
But, a North Yorkshire charity is warning the disability payment is a "drop in the ocean."
Jackie Snape, Chief Executive of Disability Action Yorkshire, said it is nowhere near enough, with additional costs for those with a disability: "Power wheelchairs, feeding pumps, oxygen machines that kind of thing, disabled people often need heating on all day, there are things like additional washing and drying. All those things cost an awful lot of money."
She added that the Government needed to offer a lot more support: "More and more families with a disabled member will be in debt, skipping meals to save money, not using essential equipment, the harsh and very stark reality is that people will die."
The Government says it is offering £37 billion of support with the cost of living to help through the "challenging" times ahead.
On top of the £150 cost of living disability payment, it is also offering a second payment for those on benefits as well as £300 for pensioners and a £400 discount on energy bills.