44-year old Julian, a water engineer, used to a secure salary, was diagnosed with a rare form of bowel cancer. Unable to return to work, once his company sick pay period ran out, he moved on to statutory sick pay and higher-rate Disability Living Allowance. Because he is at home and his immunity is compromised, he needs constant heating and has to use the washing machine much more. When his energy bills increased, he says, “You start worrying about turning the heating down, or whether you can afford to put it on. I dread the fact that we will fall behind at some point this winter. You go through life contributing in tax and insurance, but when you need a bit of help it’s not really there, that’s how it feels.”