Chancellor Rachel Reeves Under Fire as Pensioners Forced to Choose Between Food and Heat After Winter Fuel Cuts _s2
Rachel Reeves scrapped the up to £300 lifeline for around 10 million pensioners in July.
An older woman taking something out of the refrigerator (Image: Getty)
Pensioners stripped of their winter fuel payment plan to cut back on food and water, a poll has revealed.
At least 29% of those losing the allowance said they will try save costs when it comes to bathing or dishwashers.
Some 67% said they would use the heating less and almost one in five said they will visit public places to stay warm, the research for the Independent Age charity found.
Joanna Elson, chief executive of Independent Age, warned of “drastic cutbacks many will be forced to make just to get by”.
She added that it was “disappointing” that the Chancellor did not use the Budget to reverse the policy.
The YouGov poll showed only 1% of over 65s back restricting winter fuel payments to only those on pension credit.
Writing in the Daily Express, Ms Elson said: “Tying the winter fuel payment to pension credit now is misguided and will see far too many older people fall through the cracks.
“The current plan is far too narrow and deeply unpopular; in fact, just 1% of older adults think the winter fuel payment should only go to those receiving pension credit.
“We strongly urge the UK Government to rethink this decision before the cold weather really kicks in.
“It’s disappointing that the Budget wasn’t used to widen the scope of the winter fuel payment eligibility.”
The poll of more than 2,000 people, carried out earlier this month, found 42% of over-65s said winter fuel payments should go to all pensioners living under a certain income.
Shadow pensions secretary Mel Stride MP said: “This latest research is truly harrowing. Pensioners cutting down on food and being forced to leave their homes in search of warmth at the same time as Labour have caved in to their union paymasters with above inflationary pay hikes. Nothing short of disgraceful.”
The Chancellor sparked a backlash in July when she announced plans to limit the previously universal allowance of up to £300 a year.
She blamed the move on a £22 billion black hole in the public finances left by the Tories, which they have denied.
The change will see around 10 million pensioners lose the payments and is expected to save £1.5 billion a year.
But it has been condemned by charities, opposition parties, unions and some Labour politicians.
Ms Reeves resisted intense pressure to perform a U-turn in her Budget on Wednesday.
Dennis Reed, the director of over-60s campaign group Silver Voices, said: “The budget made it very clear that the Government is actually targeting older people.
“The Chancellor said absolutely nothing about the challenges facing older people this winter. She didn’t even have the courtesy to mention the hundreds of thousands of people who have signed petitions and protested about the winter fuel payment cuts.
“She has basically snubbed us. She snubbed her nose up at us during the budget.”
Mr Reed told how many will turn to warm places like churches, libraries and buses to avoid freezing this winter.
He called it a “very worrying time” for older people while warning that Labour will have a “price to pay” at future polls.
Figures quietly released in September by the Department for Work and Pensions showed around 71% of those with a disability and 83% of those aged 80 or over will no longer get the payments.
The figures also showed an estimated 780,000 OAPs will lose out on the allowance because they are eligible for pension credit but have not claimed it.
Labour MP Rachael Maskell said: “Life is really difficult for older people on a tight budget and we need Government to ensure that people are not cutting back on essentials like heating and food.
“This week I asked the Prime Minister to have a Pensioner Poverty Task force, however, winter is upon us and people need to keep well and warm in the days ahead.
“Homes are recommended to be maintained at 18’C, so if people are finding this difficult, they should speak to their energy provider for help and their local council, who can provide emergency support through the Housing Support Fund.
“Meanwhile I will continue to press the case in Parliament, which will be holding a debate on the issue this coming week.”
The Daily Express has been campaigning for the controversial policy to be reversed.
Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK said: “The Government’s cut to winter fuel payment is coming in too quickly and hitting too many older people, and their decision not to right the wrong in this Budget is a source of enormous regret.
“Every day we are hearing about how older people are frightened for the months ahead and plan to ration their heating this winter because they’ve lost their winter fuel payment. We know that millions of older people are facing impossible choices over how to make their money stretch far enough to keep them fed and warm through the colder months.
“We fear there will be severe consequences for some older people as a result and we will be monitoring this carefully over the coming weeks and months, while continuing to campaign.”
A Government spokesman said: “We are committed to supporting pensioners – with millions set to see their state pension rise by up to £1,700 this parliament through our commitment to the Triple Lock.
“Anyone who makes a successful claim for Pension Credit and meets the Winter Fuel Payment eligibility criteria will receive their payment, and we are deploying additional staff to process the expected increase in claims.
“Over a million pensioners will still receive the Winter Fuel Payment, and our drive to boost Pension Credit take up has already seen a 152% increase in claims. Many others will also benefit from the £150 Warm Home Discount to help with energy bills over winter while our extension of the Household Support Fund will help with the cost of food, heating and bills.”
