A PROTEST has taken place outside Parliament ahead of a vote to cut Winter Fuel Payments which could leave hundreds of thousands of pensioners in the cold in the coming months.
Dr Kieran Mullan, MP for Bexhill and Battle, joined the campaign against the Labour Government’s decision. Dr. Mullan spoke out in Parliament as MPs debated the issue.
This comes as figures from Age UK estimate that 25,256 pensioners in Bexhill & Battle will lose their Winter Fuel Payments as a result of this decision, making it the worst affected constituency in East Sussex, according to figures.
Kieran took part in the ‘Save the Winter Fuel Payments’ protest outside of parliament today (Tuesday), alongside other MPs who oppose the decision to means-test pensioners eligibility for financial support.
Whilst the vote put forward was won by the Labour Government with its substantial majority, many Labour MPs abstained from the vote or voted against it.
Dr. Keiran Mullan said: “I could not in good conscience vote to make my constituents poorer. I will sleep well tonight knowing that I voted to defend my constituents.
It is staggering that more than 25,000 pensioners in Bexhill & Battle will lose this vital financial support. Labour are punishing pensioners for their choice to give above inflation pay rises to the unions who donate millions of pounds to them.”
Winter Fuel Payments have been given to pensioners across the country since 1997, with each successive Government committing to it. Labour has now removed this crucial lifeline.
It is an astounding scale of financial abandonment for pensioners across our constituency which will be the worst affected of all in East Sussex.
I was pleased to take part in the Save the Winter Fuel Payments protest and the debate in Parliament to show how many MPs are opposed to this proposal, and I will continue to fight against this decision.”
What do you think? Send your comments to letters@bexhill.news
Caroline Abrahams CBE, Charity Director at Age UK said: “We’re deeply disappointed, but not surprised, that the vote to brutally means-test Winter Fuel Payment was passed today. As soon as the Government announced it was instructing its MPs to support it this was the inevitable result, but we would like to thank all those in every party who voted against the policy or abstained.
There’s been a lot of discussion about the Government’s decision, but at heart Age UK’s critique of their policy is really simple: we just don’t think it’s fair to remove the payment from the 2.5 million pensioners on low incomes who badly need it, and to do it so quickly this winter, at the same time as energy bills are rising by 10%.
It is crystal clear that there is insufficient time to make any serious impact on the miserably low take-up of Pension Credit before the cold sets in this autumn, and the Government has brought forward no effective measures to support all those whose tiny occupational pensions take them just above the line to claim. It’s true they have agreed to extend the Household Support Fund until April and they deserve some credit for that, but the HSF is an all-age fund that you have to apply for, so we know it will only help a small proportion of all the pensioners who will be in need as a result of their policy change.
The Government has also tried to suggest that the increase in State Pension for older people next year as a result of the Triple Lock means there’s no need to worry about how they will cope now, but that won’t help anyone this winter and most pensioners will not benefit to the extent being suggested – either because they are on the old State Pension which attracts less of an increase, or because they don’t qualify for a full State Pension in the first place.
The reality is that driving through this policy as the Government is doing will make millions of poor pensioners poorer still and we are baffled as to why some Ministers are asserting that this is the right thing to do. We and many others are certain that it is not, and that’s why we will continue to stand with the pensioners who can’t afford to lose their payment and campaign for them to be given more Government support.
Meanwhile, winter is coming and we fear it will be a deeply challenging one for millions of older people who have previously relied on their Winter Fuel Payment to help pay their energy bills and who have no obvious alternative source of funds on which to draw. As a charity we will do everything we can to help them, but with so many in need and no extra support on offer from the Government at the moment it’s looking like an incredibly uphill task.”
