Rachel Reeves has dented public trust, a poll has suggested. (Image: Getty)
Labour has “a long way back” to building trust among older generations after axing the winter fuel payment, campaigners have warned. A poll, done in the days before the Government confirmed its U-turn, has revealed a collapse in public trust over the government’s policy to axe the lifeline from pensioners.
Nearly one in four people (37%) believe the Government understands the impact that means-testing has had on pensioners, a survey by Savanta for the Institute of Research and Reforms (IRR) International found. Meanwhile 41% do not trust the Government to ensure that pensioners are treated fairly.
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And 37% of people do not trust the Government to use public money efficiently when deciding who receives the winter fuel payment.
Dennis Reed, the director of the over-60s campaign group Silver voices, said the winter fuel policy U-turn showed means-testing is “not the answer to making savings on the backs of older people”.
He added: “Means testing is complex, it’s costly and it doesn’t get to everybody that needs the payment. They need to rein in the think tanks and policy advisers who apparently have got their eyes on the state pension and other pensioner benefits for means testing because your poll shows the public wouldn’t wear that sort of policy.
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“I think Labour have got a long way back to build trust amongst the older generations. Support for Labour dipped dramatically following the winter fuel payment policy decision. It’s going to take more than this U-turn to turn that around. They need to look at their overall policies towards older generations if they hope to rebuild trust.”
Some nine million pensioners in England and Wales will receive the winter fuel payment this winter, the Chancellor has announced in a ￡1.25 billion U-turn of Government plans on Monday.
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The payment, worth up to ￡300, will be restored to the vast majority of pensioners who previously received it because anyone with an income of under ￡35,000 a year will now get the payment automatically.
Confirming the U-turn, Rachel Reeves said the Government had “listened to people’s concerns” about the decision to limit the payment to the poorest pensioners last winter, and was now able to widen eligibility because Labour had restored “stability” to the economy.
Ministers have insisted no additional Government borrowing will be needed to cover the costs of the reversal, prompting warnings of tax rises on the horizon.
Shadow Pensions Secretary Helen Whately said: “Having spent months defending their cruel choice to cut the Winter Fuel Payment, they finally bowed to pressure to U-turn.
“And rather than admitting she made a mistake, the Chancellor chose to pretend it was because she had a grip of the economy. All the figures tell us the opposite is true.
"It's no wonder public trust in this government has collapsed; they are both unwilling and unable to do the right thing for this country."
The U-turn followed a nearly 300-day campaign by the Daily Express demanding Rachel Reeves restore the money to pensioners.
Those with an income above the ￡35,000 threshold will also receive the payment, but it will then be reclaimed from them in tax.
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To be eligible for the winter fuel allowance, a person will need to have reached state pension age by the week starting September 15 this year.
Ali Rehman Malik, chairman of IRR International, said: “I welcome the Chancellor’s decision to reverse the unjust cuts to the winter fuel allowance.
“These findings, however, reveal a serious crisis of confidence. If the Government wants to rebuild trust, it must do a far better job of communicating with the public. Announcements in Parliament are not enough – clear, timely, and accessible information must reach everyone, especially those who are not digitally connected. Without this, the Prime Minister’s message simply will not cut through.
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“We must now also have a serious conversation about compensating those who were unfairly excluded and left to struggle during the period these cuts were in place.”
A Government spokeswoman said: “It is right that support for fuel costs is targeted. And now everyone over State Pension age in England and Wales with an income of, or below, ￡35,000 a year will benefit from a Winter Fuel Payment this winter.
“We are committed to supporting pensioners, with millions set to see their State Pension rise by up to ￡1900 over the course of this parliament.”
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