Age Action welcomes extra week of fuel allowance

Age Action has welcomed the Government's decision to extend the winter fuel allowance by one week because of the cold weather.

The charity says many elderly people are struggling to pay their heating bills and more support is needed from the Government.

The allowance of €20 per week was supposed to cease on April 6, but because of the bad weather Social Protection Minister Joan Burton said it would now continue for an extra week.

Spokesperson for Age Action Eamon Timmins advised older people to keep the temperature in the rooms they're living in at 21C, and 18C in other rooms.

He said if people could not afford to heat the whole house to that level, they should control the heat in the rooms they're living in. He said they should dress in a number of light layers, rather than in one heavy jumper, and to eat well.