The Labour Government has chosen to scrap the Winter Fuel Payment for 25,793 pensioners in Westminster, despite promising to protect the benefit during the general election.
Councillor Paul Swaddle, Leader of Westminster Conservatives on Westminster City Council has called on the Labour Government to reverse its plan to scrap the Winter Fuel Payment which will impact ten million pensioners, including 25,793 in Westminster and 864,252 across London.
Just weeks after the election, the new Labour Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced a cut to the Winter Fuel Payment which will reduce it by between £100 and £300, money that would usually have helped pensioners with their heating bills during the winter.
Between 2010 and 2023, the Conservatives had lifted over 200,000 pensioners out of absolute poverty. The Conservative Government’s unprecedented cost of living support following Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine also prevented 400,000 pensioners from falling into absolute poverty after housing costs in 2022-23.
Labour’s scrapping of the Winter Fuel Payment comes despite Labour’s Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Darren Jones MP, saying that Labour had ‘no plans to make changes’ to pensioner benefits.
Cllr Paul Swaddle explained:
“The new Labour Government has chosen to remove the Winter Fuel Payment from around 25,800 pensioners in Westminster and this will have a devastating impact on vulnerable people this winter.
“Rachel Reeves must reverse this decision so that those who worked hard and saved all of their life, live with dignity and security in retirement.
"We will be moving a motion at the Council meeting on 18 September calling for the Council Leader to write to Rachel Reeves about this cut as well as calling for the Council to ensure all pensioners know how to apply for all eligible benefits.”
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