A MUM has claimed her disabled son is living on “death row” due to soaring energy bills.
Caroline Wheeler, from Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, says her son Lee depends on life-saving machines on a daily basis.
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But she fears as winter comes the spiralling cost of keeping the machines on will be too much for the family to cover.
Lee, 37, suffers from a rare genetic condition called diploid triploid mosaicism, which means he has to rely on extra oxygen to breathe properly throughout the day.
He is one of fewer than 100 people in the world with the condition.
Lee also needs to power specialist equipment to support him, including a specially adapted bed and toilet.
His mum says his oxygen machine is his “life-line” and that he is “sitting on death row” as rocketing costs force them to cut back on energy use.
Caroline told ITV News: “We are supposed to be human beings, we are supposed to care for the less able, but that’s not happening in our society now.
“My biggest worry is the prolonged winter months and having to keep Lee alive through that.”
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She added that she “can’t think that far ahead” and that they have to take things as they come while inflation spirals to a 40-year high.
Hard-up Lee was already struggling before inflation started rising and his energy bills exceed £100 a week.
The price has almost doubled this year, even as they cut back on usage.
Caroline said: “This is life and death – everything in Lee’s life is electric and his life depends on getting a source of power.”
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The family are desperate for extra financial support for disabled people to help them through the coming winter.
Disability charities suggest that bills are an average of £600 per month higher for people with disabilities due to their specific needs.
It is also estimated that more than 600,000 people in the UK have £10 per week or less to pay for food and other essentials.
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