The end of universal entitlement to winter fuel payments has cost Labour support (Image: Huddersfield Examiner)
Sir Keir Starmer has been warned there will be “hell to pay” if he fails to restore fuel payments for pensioners in time for this winter. Campaigners warn the Prime Minister faces “political failure” if he does not bring back winter fuel payments for the large majority of pensioners.
It is feared pensioners in the grip of poverty will continue to miss out on support if the PM only tinkers with the method of means-testing the benefit. In a dramatic u-turn last week, Sir Keir said he wants more pensioners to qualify for the support – but he has not said how many more people will get the help with fuel bills or when the cash will arrive.
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The shock scrapping of the benefit for millions of pensioners within weeks of Labour taking office is considered a key reason why the party suffered a drubbing in the recent local elections.
Dennis Reed of Silver Voices warned: “Keir Starmer has set himself up for political failure with his undefined u-turn on the winter fuel payment, unless the change of policy results in the large majority of pensioners having their payments restored. Expectations have now been raised, and if they are dashed Labour will be seen as betraying older people yet again.
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“And if no new policy is in place in time for the coming winter there will be all hell to pay politically.”
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The PM risks disappointing millions of pensioners if only a small minority have the benefit restored. The number of recipients crashed by nearly 90% to 1.3 million as a result of the cuts – a move which saved only around ￡1.5billion.
Mr Reed made the case for restoring universal entitlement, saying: “The universal benefit was the most cost-effective way of getting the support to all those who needed it. Any means testing system is costly, crude and there is always the problem of take-up of the benefit as there is with pension credit.”
Eamonn Donaghy, spokesperson for Later Life Ambitions, which represents more than 250,000 older people, pressed for Sir Keir to “scrap any arbitrary means test, reinstate the winter fuel payment for all pensioners, and show once and for all that they are on the side of our older people”.
He said: “All the Government has offered so far are warm words and that’s no use to worried pensioners. We need confirmation that the winter fuel payment will be reinstated before the cold sets in.
“It might not feel it right now, but for large parts of the UK that is mere months away.”
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Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Helen Whately said Sir Keir owed pensioners an apology.
She said: “He owes an apology to the pensioners who suffered through last winter without money to turn on their heating; an apology to all those who ended up in hospital because they got cold – and the NHS staff who had to cope with the extra pressure; and an apology to his own MPs and cabinet, who were sent out on the media and in Parliament to defend the indefensible. They did as they were told, only to be left hanging out to dry by their leader.”
A Reform UK spokesman said: “It’s clear that Starmer intends to still deny millions of vulnerable pensioners of their winter fuel allowance. This cruel cut clearly highlights the priorities of the Labour government and it’s not our elderly.
“Only by voting Reform will the winter fuel allowance be fully reinstated.”
Caroline Abrahams of Age UK warned it would be “deeply unsatisfactory” if payments were not restored in time for this winter.
She said: “We have estimated that up to two and a half million pensioners lost their winter fuel payment when they couldn’t afford to do so. The consequences were borne out in the winter just gone, when we heard from many older people who were too frightened about their energy bills to keep their homes adequately warm.
“It’s crucial that we avoid a repetition in the winter to come.”
Flagging up the dangers which come with means-testing the benefit, she said that “as we’ve seen over the last few months, if you require older people to claim a means-tested benefit then it’s beyond dispute that many who really need it will miss out”.
She added: “The truth is that with a universal benefit, giving money to better off older people is the price you pay for ensuring you protect every poor and vulnerable older person who will otherwise suffer without it.”
Ms Abrahams said another option would be to reinstate it for all “but the minority of pensioners who pay the higher rate of income tax”.
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Joanna Elson of Independent Age said: “Linking the entitlement to pension credit meant far too many older people on low incomes fell through the cracks. We now need answers on who will be eligible and when will the payment be made.
“Older people in financial hardship need clarity when rising inflation is stretching budgets to breaking point.”
Ms Elson described last winter as “brutal for older people living on low incomes”.
She said: “Our advisers regularly heard from people making drastic cutbacks such as not washing to save on water and only heating one room to reduce their energy bill. The UK Government needs to act swiftly to avoid this situation repeating again as we approach the colder months.”
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A No 10 spokesperson said: “We inherited public finances that were in a disastrous state and had to take swift action to stabilise the economy. Because of the decisions we made, we have been able to protect the triple lock, which will benefit over 12 million pensioners by around ￡1,900 over the course of this parliament and have seen four cuts to interest rates.
“Our number one mission remains putting more money into people’s pockets through our plan for change – and we know that many people are still struggling with the cost of living, including pensioners.
“As the economy recovers, we want more people to feel the benefits of that in their everyday lives. That’s why we would like to expand the number of pensioners who are eligible for winter fuel payment when possible.”