Pensioners have their say on cost of heating

Sophie Lynas was among those who attended the sessions which were held over two days at the Holiday Inn Hotel in Belfast.

A new report launched at the forum revealed that one in two pensioner households in Northern Ireland has to cut down on other essentials, such as food, in order to cover the cost of heating. It formed the basis of discussions and voting during the final day with a number of fuel poverty experts and a panel of politicians responding to the concerns of around 200 older people from across the province.

On the back of the report, Age Sector Platform, the charity responsible for the Pensioners Parliament, has called on the Northern Ireland Executive to do more to address static incomes and rising energy costs being suffered by pensioners.