Cllr Stewart Dickson said: “The failure of the Executive to meet is despicable. They have the power to assist people on low and middle incomes to face this difficult financial climate with confidence, yet they are doing absolutely nothing.
“The Executive should be taking real action to help people pay energy bills and they should also be supporting the Citizens’ Advice Bureau across Northern Ireland to deliver a full financial advice service to help people cope with debt.
“This winter will see more jobs lost, more homes repossessed and many people struggling to pay spiralling energy bills. There’s a real need for the DUP and Sinn Fein to focus on helping families through this extremely difficult time. They have to stop playing games and get back to work, for the sake of local people.
“Petty, single-issue politicians are betraying the people of Northern Ireland. The current crisis for the public is not policing and justice, it is the fact that some people now have to choose whether to heat or eat.”
ENDS