The human cost of Britain’s worst winter for 30 years has been laid bare as figures show the first signs of a sharp rise in the death rates, especially among the elderly.

Deaths leapt by up to a fifth amid the longest spell of bitter weather in recent years, The Daily Telegraph can disclose.

Undertakers have reported the busiest winter for several years, with some even forced to take on extra staff to cope.
It comes in the wake of an outcry over the deaths of an elderly couple from Northampton, whose bodies lay in their freezing home, unnoticed for several days.

Opposition parties described the picture painted by the figures as a “national disgrace”, warning that many elderly people are suffering in silence, afraid to turn up the heating in a winter, often missing out on extra winter payments.

Preliminary figures show that 1,506 deaths were registered in Scotland in the first week of January, 21 per cent above the average for the corresponding week over last five years.

In England and Wales, the most recent data available shows that deaths of older people rose by up to 17 per cent between Christmas and New Year, even before the worst of the bitter weather began to take its toll.

Some 9,455 deaths were registered in the week from Christmas Day to New Year’s Day – three per cent higher than the average for the time of year but up 10 per cent on the previous week.

Among over 65s it represents a 12 per cent rise week-on-week and as much as 17 per cent among those aged 75 to 84, of whom just over 3,000 died in a week.

“I believe this is the first indication that winter deaths are going to increase dramatically this year” said Neil Duncan-Jordan, national officer of the National Pensioners’ Convention.
“It is a scandal that winter deaths in this country are on the increase, it raises the question how can we call ourselves civilised if we are still allowing this sort of thing to happen in the 21st Century.” (Yet we can find £1.9 billion to give to India..web master)
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