People with chronic illnesses, disabilities face especially high energy bills

Many people with chronic illnesses and disabilities will face especially high energy bills this winter, but the Cabinet is not giving an extra allowance to these groups. This concerns several municipalities and interest groups, according to Nu.nl.

People who struggle to maintain their body temperature on their own, or those who have specialized health equipment like a wheelchair or dialysis machine, are expected to sustain much higher costs than people who are not chronically ill. Only ventilators are currently given an energy reimbursement.

"That is unacceptable," Elke(in) director Illya Soffer told Nu.nl. "These people have often been living around the subsistence level for years...many are already using the food bank."

People with disabilities or chronic illnesses can claim special assistance allowance, but in order to qualify they cannot earn more than 120 percent of the minimum wage. At least 10 municipalities told Nu.nl they did not have enough money to "take over the increasing burdens of residents." Soffer also believes that special assistance is not the solution.

"You can indeed go to the municipality, but it has limited resources," she said. "The special assistance therefore offers no security."

Some municipalities, including Amsterdam, wish to change the income limits for receiving special assistance to 130 percent of the minimum wage, allowing more people to claim the benefit. The Cabinet is also consulting with health insurers about the possibility of giving larger energy reimbursements to people who have chronic illnesses or disabilities.