# Deaths linked to winter weather highlighted as nation faces cold snap

By Simon Francis — 2026-02-18

Simon Francis, coordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, said: “It’s truly shocking that more than 2,500 people died in connection with cold weather in winter 2024/25, most of them older people.

“It lays bare the awful reality that far too many pensioners are still trapped in cold, damp homes that put their health and lives at risk.

“Volatile gas prices, poor quality housing and a lack of adequate support have all contributed to this crisis.

“And in 2024/25 the situation was made worse by decisions to remove Winter Fuel Payments from many pensioners.

“We warned this would leave vulnerable older people exposed, and these figures show the deadly consequences of failing to protect those most at risk.

“These deaths also underline the need to go further with cold weather support.

“Cold Weather Payments too often arrive only after prolonged freezing conditions, when the damage is already being done.

“Support should be automatic and triggered in advance of forecast cold snaps, not weeks later.

“Ministers often treat fuel poverty as a cost of living issue, which it is, but these figures are a stark reminder that it is also a public health emergency.

“The Health Secretary must now also prioritise the fight to tackle cold homes.”

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