AGE CYMRU has warned that older people on low incomes are already fearing next winter after Ofgem confirmed a rise in the energy price cap.

Older people face fresh anxiety over winter heating bills after the regulator said the typical annual household bill will rise to £1,862 from July.

The increase, of around 13%, means average bills will rise by about £221 compared with the current cap of £1,641.

Age Cymru said the announcement was a sign of “worse to come”, with the charity warning that higher energy costs linked to global instability could hit hardest when pensioners need heating most.

Victoria Lloyd, Chief Executive at Age Cymru said: “Even during this unprecedented hot weather for May, older people on low incomes are already worrying about how they will afford to stay warm next winter.

“We know that today’s price cap increase is the shape of worse to come when the next price cap is announced, because by then the impact of the war in the Middle East will really be feeding through into prices.

“Unfortunately, these elevated energy costs due to the war will hit just at the time when pensioners will need their heating the most, as we head into winter.”

Call for support

Age Cymru is urging both the UK and Welsh Governments to draw up a clear plan to support older people on low incomes before winter.

The charity said the Welsh Government should increase investment in schemes such as Nest, which helps improve home energy efficiency, and expand crisis support so older people are not left without working heating.

Ms Lloyd added: “Support has failed to keep pace with rising energy costs and is insufficient for the scale of the financial challenge that significant numbers of people will face this winter.

“Early analysis from our upcoming annual survey shows that 52.4% of respondents used less energy or heating over the last year due to the cost of living, which is an increase from last year’s survey.

“Older people should be able to look forward to their later years with comfort and peace of mind, not with anxiety about having to choose between heating or eating, feeling cold or going into debt.”

The price cap limits the amount suppliers can charge for each unit of gas and electricity, as well as standing charges. It does not cap a household’s total bill, meaning people who use more energy will pay more.

Welsh Labour attacks appointment of Corey Edwards as adviser to Reform Wales leader after Senedd campaign controversy

REFORM UK in Wales is facing fresh criticism after a former Senedd candidate who stood aside during an election controversy was reportedly appointed to a senior advisory role close to the party’s Welsh leadership.

Corey Edwards, who had been selected as Reform UK’s lead candidate for Pen-y-bont Bro Morgannwg during the Senedd election campaign, stepped back earlier this year after images circulated online appearing to show him making a Nazi salute.

At the time, Edwards denied wrongdoing and said the image had been taken out of context. He claimed it was intended either as a reference to a scene from the comedy series Fawlty Towers or to a well-publicised incident involving Wales goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey.

He later withdrew from the campaign, citing concerns over his mental health.

However, reports from BBC Wales and political news outlet Nation.Cymru now suggest Edwards has returned to frontline politics after being appointed as a senior adviser to Reform Wales leader Dan Thomas.

According to reports, Edwards has been seen inside the Senedd estate and is understood to be working in Thomas’s office in an advisory capacity.

The appointment has sparked criticism from Welsh Labour, which questioned Reform UK’s judgment in handing a senior role to a figure who stepped back during a major public controversy.

A Welsh Labour spokesperson said: “Reform UK didn’t have the decency to deem Corey Edwards unfit to be a candidate. He stepped back himself after the truth came out.

“Now they think he is fit to advise their leader in Wales.

“Reform have shown yet again they haven’t learned their lesson and their values do not align with the people of Wales.”

The development is likely to reignite debate around Reform UK’s vetting procedures in Wales, which came under scrutiny during the Senedd election campaign following several candidate controversies.

Reform UK made major gains in Wales at the Senedd election, becoming one of the largest parties in the chamber and establishing itself as a significant force in Welsh politics.

Swansea Council says demand has risen sharply, but new supported accommodation is expected to reduce reliance on hotels

SWANSEA COUNCIL spent more than £7.2m placing people in bed and breakfast accommodation last year, as the city continues to face mounting pressure from homelessness and a shortage of affordable homes.

The bill for 2025-26 was almost three times higher than in 2022-23, when temporary accommodation costs stood at £2.5m.

Figures released under freedom of information laws show 1,499 people were placed in B&B accommodation during the year. The most expensive placement lasted 498 nights and cost £34,860, equal to £70 per night.

The council recovered around £3.4m through Welsh Government funding, housing benefit and Home Office funding for released prisoners.

A council spokesman said Swansea, like towns and cities across the UK, was facing both a housing shortage and rising demand.

He said many people needing emergency accommodation were dealing with difficult circumstances, including family breakdown or domestic abuse.

The authority hopes its reliance on bed and breakfasts will fall following the opening of Llys Glas, the former Swansea Central police station on Orchard Street, which has been converted with Codi Group into temporary supported accommodation.

The building opened in January and provides around 70 rooms for single people and couples, along with kitchen facilities.

Further supported accommodation is also planned at a former office block and student development on St Helen’s Road.

Homelessness charity The Wallich said the costs were high, but warned that the alternative would be leaving vulnerable people without support.

A spokeswoman said Wales had too many older homes and too few properties available, adding that councils were struggling to find enough social housing.

She said private rents could not solve the crisis, with the average one-bedroom flat in Swansea now costing around £750 per month, compared with a local housing allowance rate of £525.

She added that rough sleeper teams in Swansea had not seen an increase in people sleeping on the streets since the pandemic, despite the rise in housing demand.

The Welsh Local Government Association said more than 10,500 people were currently in emergency temporary accommodation across Wales, including more than 2,200 children.

A spokesman said building more social rented homes remained a vital part of the response.

The new Welsh Government is expected to set out its homelessness priorities shortly.