It’s going to be a cold and cruel winter living under Labour rule for many of the most vulnerable in society.

Cuts to the winter fuel payment will leave almost 10 million pensioners worse off – but some will feel it more than others.

It is 40 years since I first became a carer and I know first hand how isolated many elderly people feel in this age of fast-changing technology and the internet.

The Chancellor has ruled that only those on pension credit will qualify for help with their heating bills.

The online form for pension credit contains no fewer than 243 questions. It’s hardly surprising that nearly a million eligible people haven’t even attempted to fill in the 21-page form to claim the benefit. Apply online? What, with dementia?

Treasury minister James Murray had no answer when he appeared on BBC‘s Newsnight last week. All he could do was repeat parrot fashion that the vulnerable should apply for pension credit. He didn’t seem to grasp that people with dementia can’t do most things. “Go online…download the app…ring the DWP office” is not helpful advice for people who put their clothes on back to front when they get dressed.

Taking care of my grandmother and mother – who both suffered with this debilitating disease – has given me the clearest insight into just how rash and reckless restricting the winter payment is. I’ve also first-hand experience in just how difficult these questionnaires can be during my work raising funds for Alzheimer’s Research UK and supporting the Alzheimer’s Society and Dementia UK.

Those with dementia do not have the mental capacity to fill in forms or make phone calls, and without the support of others will become a winter statistic of hypothermia or worse.

This illness can be swift. My mother lost the ability to use the TV remote control not long after being diagnosed with early stages of dementia. My grandmother, who suffered from Alzheimer’s couldn’t remember if she’d eaten, seconds after finishing a meal.

These two strong women had the support and care of their family but even we would find it hard going through the process of applying for winter fuel payment.

These cuts could also prove to be a false economy, adding extra pressure on carers, GPs and the NHS. Whether or not you think that some pensioners are comfortable enough not to need the payment, special provision should be given for those who suffer from mental incapacity.

To complicate matters, comes the 10 per cent rise in the energy price cap and Ed Miliband’s fervent plans to reach net zero.

How many winters must be endured by those who need support both financially and personally? This is when ideology threatens the security of those who are most vulnerable in a desire to save a mere £1.4 billion.

The new Government’s actions to prove itself, hurriedly and blithely making announcements without the forethought to see there may be trouble ahead for people who don’t use laptops or mobile phones. This has already left many anxious as to what to do and how to cope. Sadly, those with one of 200 types of dementia won’t have a clue what is going on, relying on those around them – if they have anyone.

Age UK has announced more time is required to get the benefits system up to scratch to be able to cope with the consequences of this triple attack on those in need. Dementia is now the biggest killer in the country with a million sufferers. If a cure was funded by the Government, it would save millions for the NHS and local authorities. Yet there is no NHS-run helpline.

So here we are today: the immediate withdrawal of winter fuel benefit, a hike of 10 per cent in energy prices and Energy Secretary Mr Miliband’s drive to reach net zero at all costs. I’ve been banging at the door of politicians since losing my grandmother in 1995 from this cruel disease. Reliance on help and care is crucial with dementia sufferers and, unlike other diseases, they can’t explain or understand. As I’ve said several times before “who takes care of the carer?” We have a care sector that is beyond broken, and in some part of the country it barely exists.

All Governments have relied on the love of family and friends to support and now we’ve reached a crisis point. It is time for a reset, to take things back and start again by talking to those who know to build a support network when crises like the withdrawal of winter fuel payment comes along.

One in three people born in the UK today will be diagnosed with dementia in their lifetime. Politicians need to wake up to what is happening to the many lonely people as a result of this action taken.