Age Scotland have welcomed the UK government's announcement of a new energy price guarantee, which it described as an "enormous investment and very welcome".

Age Scotland's Chief Executive, Brian Sloan, said: "Hundreds of thousands of older people in Scotland can't afford their energy bills today, never mind when they increase again next month. And while the rise is lower than it might have been, in reality it doesn't make anyone's life any easier. The lack of further targeted financial support to households on the lowest incomes is a big concern.

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"On average, people will be paying about twice as much to heat and power their homes as they did last winter. We still face catastrophic consequences.

"We're regularly hearing from older people whose bills have reached unaffordable and unsustainable levels, despite using as little energy as possible in order to get through the summer. Continuing to cut back on energy usage this winter poses serious health risks and will cause further pressures on our NHS and care services.

"Across Scotland, hundreds of millions of pounds of social security are still being missed out on by older people every year. Age Scotland can help people understand what they are entitled to and access it. Call us on 0800 12 44 222 or visit www.age.scot/benefitscalculator."