FEARS have been raised low-income families could 'freeze to death' this winter amid the 'harrowing' cost of living crisis.

As reported 17,998 households in Dorset were in fuel poverty in 2020, according to figures from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

The End Fuel Poverty Coalition has warned many more will struggle to afford rocketing bills this year after the energy price cap rose in April and the war in Ukraine led to an increase in wholesale oil prices.

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Leader of Weymouth Town Council, David Harris said: "Locally, we need to be pressing much more for better paid jobs.

"This can be done by improving our industrial base and ensuring tourism is an all-the-year-round business."

Mr Harris' views were also agreed by Melcombe Regis councillor Tia Roos.

She said: "I’ve watched families scrimping and saving, not being able to include their kids in a lot of stuff those more well off are privileged enough to do.

"Before the pandemic even, many families have dealt with huge impact of poverty that has caused mental health issues and increased physical issues.

"It’s been harrowing for many of our charities and public services to watch.

"With the increase in living costs, we're only at present touching the tip of the overall impact of increases."

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"Prices are going to keep rising and I can’t imagine how many people are going to cope.

"This is going to affect people who weren’t in poverty before, let alone become detrimental to many low income and poverty stricken families.

"This includes isolated, elderly and any low income person.

"Those with the least will be hurt the most. They will all start to feel the pressure not necessarily at its highest over the summer.

"People will be starving or freezing literally to death in some cases this winter.

"We can offer signposting but in the end the reality is it’s a political issue. One that can only be solved with political power and intervention."

A Government spokeswoman said it is continuing to make 'significant progress on tackling fuel poverty'.

The spokeswoman said: "We're investing over £6.6 billion this parliament and working directly with local authorities to further boost energy efficiency in homes across the UK, which remains the best long-term method to keep household energy costs down."