Man United and England footballer Marcus Rashford. Photo: www.flickr.com/photos/cfcunofficial

• CONGRATULATIONS and thanks to Marcus Rashford for so brilliantly and importantly raising the country’s awareness about food poverty.

All being well, with enough public pressure, the government will now see sense and change its mind before the Christmas holidays.

But with so many households’ incomes suffering from the pandemic restrictions, winter fast approaching, and more people forced to spend more time in their homes during lockdown, we need to remember fuel poverty as well as food poverty.

Many households were in fuel poverty before the pandemic hit; and there are likely to be significantly more now. Cold homes increase the risks to occupants’ health, physical and mental; risks that are already much higher this year because of Covid-19.

The authorities need to think what they can do to help people stay warm this winter. No child should go hungry but no parent should have to choose between heating and eating.

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