WITH about six million people set to receive the £150 disability cost-of-living payment into their bank accounts today, campaigners warn that the “paltry sum” does not go far enough. 

Those being paid a qualifying disability benefit will be sent the one-off sum automatically from September 20, with the vast majority expected to receive the payment by the start of October, the government announced yesterday. 

The payment is part of the government’s support package to help people with soaring prices. 

However, disability campaigners warned that more support is needed to help people pay their energy bills — or more lives could be lost this winter due to fuel poverty.

Disabled People Against Cuts co-founder Linda Burnip told the Morning Star: “When rises in fuel prices are likely to be at least £2,500, a paltry £150 is of little use in supporting disabled people, many of whom have higher than average costs anyhow due to their additional needs.

“There needs to be a social tariff for those on low incomes plus an additional low price tariff for disabled people, otherwise there will be many more additional deaths caused by fuel poverty.”

Disability charities have warned that the spiralling cost of living is hitting disabled people the hardest, as their living costs are typically higher and they have higher rates of unemployment. 

A recent poll by charity Sense found that 62 per cent of disabled people surveyed said they already had to choose between heating and eating in the last year, with the charity calling on the government to increase disability benefits. 

Further measures to support households and businesses are expected to be announced later this week in the Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s “mini-budget.”