Official figures show there are thousands of unnecessary deaths due to cold related illnesses in elderly people, a report has argued.

Last winter in England and Wales, 21,800 old people died as a direct result of the cold, according to Help the Aged. The total figure for the last ten years has reached well over 330,000.

A spokeswoman for the DWP told ePolitix.com: "This government is committed to making homes warmer for millions of people, we want to ensure that everyone can afford to keep warm at home.

"The number of 'fuel-poor' households in the UK has dropped by more than 40 per cent, about 2.5million. Our ultimate aim is to completely wipe out fuel poverty.

"The government's £600 million Warm Front programme in England alone has helped more than 700,000 households, providing central heating and insulation to many elderly people and those on low incomes.

"This year's Winter Fuel Payment will be issued to over 11 million homes guaranteeing each household £200, in the majority of cases paid automatically.

"For the first time this year all households with someone over 80 will receive an annual payment of £100 in addition to the WFP."

Forum Response: Help the Aged

Mervyn Kohler, head of public affairs at Help the Aged said: "It is time this country was named and shamed into doing something about this national scandal.

"Why has there been no outcry about these latest figures like that witnessed in France when some 15,000 older people died in this summer's heat wave?

"Older people must have access to affordable heating. By failing to properly address fuel poverty and by failing to co-ordinate help across departments, the government is letting people die of cold.

"It is an affront to human rights and should be tolerated no longer. Action must be taken now to put an end to these shocking numbers of winter deaths."

Forum Response: Age Concern

Gordon Lishman, director general of Age Concern England, told ePolitix.com: "Age Concern is very distressed at the news that there have been over 20,000 excess deaths last winter. It is shocking that in 2003 we can live in a society where people can die of cold related illnesses. Many of these deaths will be older people who are most at risk during the winter months.

"Winter hardship for older people is due to a number of factors. Of these, the cold is the most significant. However, issues relating to social isolation due to lack of mobility or poor rural transport provision is also very distressing for older people and can lead to extreme loneliness and depression.

"In spite of the government's initiatives to fight fuel poverty amongst older people, many of them still cannot afford sufficient heating or live in housing with inadequate insulation. Part of the solution must be to improve older people's income through increased basic state pension to an adequate level so that older people can afford to heat their homes."

Forum Response: Counsel and Care

Martin Green, chief executive of Counsel and Care, told ePolitix.com: "The report by Help the Aged has highlighted a very important issue that needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency by the government.

"In framing its response to the tragic and unnecessary deaths of so many older people we need to see clear evidence of co-ordination between the benefits system, housing and energy policy and further support for organisations such as care and repair and other energy projects, who do vital work to improve the energy efficiency of many older peoples homes"