A tenth of elderly Brits cannot afford to heat their home on their current income, leaving many to rely on the Winter Fuel Allowance.

That’s according to new research from Provident, which suggests this programme could be cut by £100 million, despite 13% of elderly Brits being unable to afford their bills even with its help.

The group’s survey of 2,000 people suggested an eighth of elderly Brits have sacrificed buying food to cover the cost of heating.

A fifth have had to neglect other payments to stay warm and more than half are worried about covering the cost of their heating bills during winter.

The average household is expected to face an estimated £655 heating bill over the cold season.

The study discovered 39% have forgone buying essentials such as clothing to pay their heating bills, while almost half have given up socialising with friends to save much-needed cash.