THIRTY eight elderly people in East Lancashire have died from cold-related illnesses so far this winter, shock figures have revealed.

The grim toll was up by 30 per cent year on year as a direct result of the icy weather.

Politicians branded it a disgrace that people were dying of such ailments in one of the richest countries in the world.

Medics said a big contributory factor was that people were living longer.

But older people’s charities said the figures highlighted “vulner-able and forgotten” elderly people, unable to afford to heat their homes properly, and with no family or friends to help them through the tough times.

And over-65s in East Lancashire said they felt cheated by the Government – missing out on both pension credits and “top-up” cold-weather payments because of their savings, but finding the cash in the bank was worth less and less as interest rates plummeted.

Now the Lancashire Telegraph is calling on folk in the area to take steps to keep an eye on vulnerable pensioners.

The Telegraph will also lobby local MPs to raise the situation in Parliament, to highlight the difficulties faced by elderly people due to the cost of heating and the level of the state pension.

The UK has the lowest state pension in the EU, with consultancy firm Aon calculating it at just 17 per cent of average earnings for some, although for a single person it is 30.8 per cent.

In comparison, a single person in Germany receives 40 per cent, and in France it is 51 per cent. Greek pensioners receive almost 96 per cent of the average wage.

England sees a 19 per cent increase in deaths each winter, compared with other times of the year - one of the worst rates in Europe. For example, in Finland, where temperatures drop as low as minus 45, the jump is only 10 per cent.

Matt Nicholson, East Lancashire spokesman for Help the Aged, said: “There are a lot of elderly people living in isolation, who don’t see anyone for days at a time, and when there’s been the cold weather we’ve been having, the sad fact is they can die at home and not be found for some time.

“There is an awful lot of help and information out there, but that’s no use if the most vulnerable people can’t access it.

“But for many older people, they have the feeling that they have managed on their own all their lives, and the work needs to be done to ensure that this mentality changes, and they realise they do not have to give up any pride to get the help they need.

“There is money available from the Government on top of the pension, but it’s not really cutting it when fuel costs have risen so much, and don’t seem to be coming back down with the drop in wholesale prices.”