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Islanders who receive the maximum long-term incapacity benefit, whose ailments are made worse by the cold, could be eligible for extra funding this year, if politicians back a Reform Deputy's proposal.
Deputy Beatriz Porée has today put forward a proposal to change the eligibility for the Cold Weather Bonus this winter.
In a report explaining her proposal, the Deputy explains: "Incapacity of whatever kind, be it mental or physical, might cause individuals to be reluctant, or even unable, to leave their home.
"Health issues tend to be exacerbated in colder weather and these vulnerable individuals are more at risk of suffering from general ill health as the winter progresses."
The proposition asks for eligibility for the Cold Weather Bonus "or any similar financial support scheme that is proposed or implemented by the Government" to be extended to people who receive 100% LTIA.
Pictured: Deputy Beatriz Porée put forward the idea.
The proposition asks for the measures to be implemented by January 2024.
The Cold Weather Bonus aims to help people with heating bills as well as buying warm bedding and clothing.
As a response to the cost of living crisis, the Cold Weather Bonus was recently amended so that recipients receive a fixed sum of £70 a month, rather than a variable amount that changes with the weather.
The £70 payments are made between October and March, adding up to £420 over the course of the winter.
Deputy Porée added in her report: "This proposition aims to assist a relatively small number of vulnerable individuals who, through no fault of their own, are struggling."
She said that she had worded her proposal in a way that would allow the Government to establish a different scheme in case this was considered a more appropriate option.
247 people received 100% LTIA in 2021. An estimate provided in Deputy Porée's report calculates that the total cost of a £70 allowance between the months of October and March would cost the government a total of £103,740.
The proposal is currently due for debate on 12 September.
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