Disability benefits for millions 'rendered worthless' by soaring energy bills

Millions of Britons disabled or suffering from long-term illnesses are seeing their benefits wiped out by skyrocketing bills, new figures reveal.

Energy bills are expected to hit around £5,386 a year by January, but benefits to help the 2.9million people who receive a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) are not expected to increase until April 2023.

Charities warn that people with disabilities will be among the hardest hit groups over the winter, and are already being forced to reduce the number of carers in a of the rising cost of living.

Of those claiming PIP – the main disability benefit for people of working age – 590,435 do not receive any other type of social benefit. In April, the average weekly PIP price was £113.2, or £5,887.96 per year.

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This means that from January, PIP claimants will be hit with energy bills representing 91% of their annual payments, according to the Labor Analysis People with the most complex needs depend on services care that require large amounts of electricity, such as wheelchairs and feeding devices.

Disability equality charity Scope said people already have “ started to reduce or stop the amount of care and support they pay for - and it won't worse," adding that "life costs more for disabled people".

Labour's shadow work and pensions secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: "Disabled people face . ..