Two members of our group of carers for people with profound disabilities told me of the poignant moment when they turned on their TVs to find out the plans of the newly appointed prime minister Liz Truss to deal with the threat of rising fuel costs, only to discover the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
The dramatic events of the period of national mourning and the proclamation of the new King Charles III have pushed issues of financial concern out of the headlines.
But they have not removed the anxieties of millions of families who, now that the funeral is over, are facing a cold winter and terrifying rises in energy prices.
Disabled people often face higher energy bills, especially if they are housebound or need electrically powered medical devices.
A new report on fuel poverty and health inequalities by Professor Michael Marmot of University College warns of a "humanitarian crisis" with a significant increase in mortality as households including a person with disability are at highest risk.
The Financial Fairness Trust describes the "severe impact of rising living costs on disabled households", reporting the results of a survey in the spring revealing that 48% of such households were already "struggling to keep warm and comfortable". Many families reported cutting back on cooking and heating, even on having showers; others were facing "serious financial difficulties".
Professor Marmot has called for a national fuel poverty strategy, with ring-fenced funding to support local councils in tackling the particular needs of vulnerable local populations.
In Haringey, the Trades Union Council has launched a community and trade union network to take up local issues, including rising rents and evictions and gas and electricity cut offs, arising from the cost-of-living crisis. Council leader Peray Ahmet has pledged to put more financial support in place and "to work with the voluntary sector to ensure that we are targeting our support to those who need it most".
We are certainly going to need a major collective effort to tackle the crisis ahead, in the same spirit that we responded to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mary Langan is chair of Haringey Severe and Complex Needs Families Reference Group.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here