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Rachel Reeves warned pensioners 'freezing to death' after ￡300 winter fuel payment cut

2025-02-18 00:00:00.0 每日快报-政治原网页

Rachel Reeves has faced pressure to U-turn on winter fuel payments (Image: Getty/Express)

Pensioners have taken to Sir Keir Starmer’s doorstep to demand he “rethink” the axing of the winter fuel payment on behalf of over 600,000 older people.

Veteran John Dockree, 73, joined Arvind Patel, 78, and Age UK director Caroline Abrahams to deliver their petition to Downing Street demanding action to ensure it can never happen again.

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The Express previously told how John and his wife Wenefreda, 57, had spent their days huddling with their rescue dogs Miska and Connor to ward off the bitter cold in their one-bedroom bungalow in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire.

Pensioners took a petition to Downing Street to voice their anger at the move (Image: Express)

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It came as millions of pensioners went cold in their own homes last month following Labour’s decision to mean-test winter fuel payments, in what campaigners branded “a national scandal”.

Speaking outside No10, Caroline said: “We’re so sad we’re having to do this. It shouldn’t be necessary. We shouldn’t be doing this to the older people in this country.”

“This has been the toughest of winters for older people. Let’s not go through it all again next year. [Keir Starmer] really does need to find a better answer and there’s lots of things he can do to improve life for older people who really struggled this winter.

“The worst of it is older people telling us they’re so worried about getting an unaffordable bill that they just switch the heating off even though they’re bitterly cold and it’s horrible outside. That’s very bad for their health and we really do worry about what the consequences are for them and of course for the NHS.

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Petitioners outside Downing Street on Tuesday (Image: Express)

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"It’s very hard to tell what happens behind closed doors but there’s absolutely no doubt that this is the last thing older people who are frail and unwell needed, to be cold and worried about running their heating. For some, of course, it will have led them to go into hospital or made existing conditions worse with who knows what consequences.”

The Daily Express has demanded the Chancellor U-turns on her decision to axe the winter fuel payment for up to 10 million pensioners.

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A Government spokesman said: "We do not want to see anyone suffering this winter, which is why we have continued the Warm Home Discount and extended the Household Support Fund which will help with the cost of food, heating and bills.

"We are committed to supporting pensioners – with millions set to see their state pension rise by up to ￡1,900 this parliament through our commitment to the Triple Lock.

"And last year Energy UK, in collaboration with the Government, published a Winter 2024 Commitment which promises ￡500m of industry support to billpayers this winter."

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