Daily Express, on UK Politics, 29 October 2026

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'I'm a single mum on Universal Credit and Healey's gas bill change will really hit us' Raegan Furness, 38, a full-time carer for two daughters with disabilities, fears she could end up paying more Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Add us as preferred source Comments By Steven Smith , Content Editor 06:44, Thu, Oct 29, 2026 Updated: 07:16, Thu, Oct 29, 2026 Raegan Furness with her daughters Kacie-Rae and Amelia-Star (Image: SWNS) A single mother of two worries she may face increased gas costs following the Government's decision to abolish standing charges.

Raegan Furness, 38, is a full-time carer to Amelia-Star, 14, who has ADHD, and Kacie-Rae, 10, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair. She receives Universal Credit along with the Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for both daughters. Chancellor John Healey revealed on Wednesday before his inaugural Budget address that standing charges on gas bills will be abolished, ensuring that consumers will no longer face a daily charge for gas usage, even when none has been consumed that day.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT According to the Treasury, this will deliver savings of £45 annually for the typical household; nevertheless, Britons who consume above-average gas quantities may encounter elevated charges, as costs will instead depend on consumption. The Treasury states Ofgem - the UK energy regulator - will target delivery of this removal "in 2027 or as soon as possible after". Raegan, from Macclesfield, Cheshire, said: "I understand why the government has done this, and I do think it's going to be great for lots of people, but my family will likely come into the 40% that use more than average.

Kacie-Rae can't regulate her temperature, and I've got to have the heating on all the time, especially as we live in a damp and mouldy home. Get personal finance news, money saving tips and advice plus selcted offers and competitions I would like to receive emails from the Daily Express featuring our latest products, services, offers, and promotions from across the Reach Plc family . Subscribe Invalid email You agree you are 18 or over.

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. You can unsubscribe at any time. More Info . "We're going to get really hit by this, as the price of gas is going to go off actual usage instead. We're being penalised for having to cater to Kacie's medical conditions and making sure she's warm and safe."

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Raegan Furness with her daughter Kacie-Rae (Image: SWNS) State pensioners under 77 given boosted £250 benefit by Andy Burnham Brits with high blood pressure could claim £843.27 per month in DWP payments | Personal Finance | Finance | Express.co.uk Raegan hopes the government will raise the Warm Home Discount to £250 to help offset these potential additional expenses. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT "I got a letter the other day to say we're eligible, so fingers crossed it goes up," she said.

"I'm frightened that, if I don't pay my bills, the providers will cut me off. "If they do that, I can't power her hoist or her suction machine to stop her choking. It's very concerning and I don't feel safe." Raegan Furness is a full-time carer to daughters , who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair (Image: SWNS) Raegan also pointed out that should the government abolish standing charges on electricity, this would drive her bills even higher.

She explained: "We've got a big electric bed frame, we've got a ceiling hoist that needs to be plugged in all the time, so if they're going to scrap standing charges on electricity, this is again going to have a really bad impact on us. "They're dangling the carrot and saying they're going to help people, but really when it comes down to it, the most vulnerable people are going to be penalised for something that isn't in our control." Trending Raegan is calling on the government to deliver greater support for vulnerable families.

"It's not like we're using extra energy because we don't want to put a coat on", she said. "It's to help with respiratory problems; we really need to know in depth how disabled families are going to be supported." Universal Credit Energy bills Disabilities John Healey Andy Burnham DWP Benefits Budget 2026 Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Add us as preferred source Comments

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What we found (2)

The Daily Express tells the story of a carer on Universal Credit who fears the end of gas standing charges will raise her bills, and it attributes the Treasury's savings figure and the downside for high users fairly. Its headline puts a firmer, reworded line in her mouth than she gives in the body, and the article gives her daughters two different sets of ages. Neither problem changes what a reader understands about the policy.

  1. Headline goes beyond the article

    Minor

    “'I'm a single mum on Universal Credit and Healey's gas bill change will really hit us'”

    Why this matters
    The Express puts this whole sentence in quotation marks as her words, with no hedge: the change "will really hit us".
    The impression it gives
    A reader takes it that Raegan Furness said these exact words and is certain she will pay more.
    The context
    No sentence in the body contains these words. She says her family "will likely" fall among higher users, and the Express's own summary says she "fears she could end up paying more". Her closest line is "We're going to get really hit by this". The headline is a stitched paraphrase presented as a quote, and it is firmer than what she says in the body.

    How we know

    • Elsewhere in the article“my family will likely come into the 40% that use more than average”
    • Elsewhere in the article“fears she could end up paying more”
    • Elsewhere in the article“We're going to get really hit by this”

    Show it in the article

  2. Contradicts its own facts

    Minor

    “Amelia-Star, 12, who has ADHD, and Kacie-Rae, eight”

    Why this matters
    The Express's own photo caption gives the daughters' ages as 12 and eight.
    The impression it gives
    A reader is left unsure how old the children are, or trusts whichever figure they read last.
    The context
    Earlier the Express gives their ages as 14 and 10. The article contradicts itself on a basic fact about the family at the centre of the story.

    How we know

    • Elsewhere in the article“Amelia-Star, 14, who has ADHD, and Kacie-Rae, 10”

    Show it in the article

What it gets right

  • “According to the Treasury, this will deliver savings of £45 annually for the typical household; nevertheless, Britons who consume above-average gas quantities may encounter elevated charges, as costs will instead depend on consumption.”

    The Express attributes the savings figure to the Treasury rather than stating it as fact. It also explains plainly who may lose out and why, so the reader can weigh her fears against the policy.

  • “The Treasury states Ofgem - the UK energy regulator - will target delivery of this removal "in 2027 or as soon as possible after".”

    It gives the timetable in the Treasury's own words, so the reader knows the change is not immediate.

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