Councillors Asked to Condemn government plans to remove Winter Fuel Payment from pensioners

Councillors on Westmorland and Furness Council will be asked this week to support a motion proposed by Cllr Hillary Carrick councillors for Hesket and Lazonby to condemn the proposal government to remove the Winter Fuel Payment from pensioners who are not in receipt of means tested benefits.

Cllr Carrick has said “The new Labour Government’s recent decision to restrict the Winter Fuel Payment to only those pensioners in receipt of means-tested benefits like Pension Credit, will mean that in excess of 40,000 pensioners in Westmorland and Furness who badly need the money to stay warm this winter will not receive it.”

“The Winter Fuel Payment has been a lifeline for many older people across the UK and restricting its availability solely to those on Pension Credit risks leaving many pensioners in financial hardship.”

“While some pensioners currently in receipt of the Winter Fuel Payment may not require it, many thousands across Westmorland and Furness sit just above the cut-off for Pension Credit and will now lose their allowance.”

“The decision to means-test Winter Fuel Payments, especially with such short notice and without adequate compensatory measures, is deeply unfair and will disproportionately affect the health and well-being of our poorest older residents. “

 There has already been significant criticism from Age UK, the Countryside Alliance and other charities, highlighting the social injustice and potential health risks posed by the new government sudden policy change on the winter fuel allowance.

The motion will be debated on Thursday in Kendal, during the Westmorland and Furness full Council meeting calling for councillors to:

“Condemn the proposal to remove the Winter Fuel Payment from pensioners who are not in receipt of means tested benefits, recognising the disproportionate impact this will have on our most vulnerable residents, particularly those in rural communities;”

The motion also calls for the councillors to request that the Leader of Westmorland and Furness Council Cllr Jonathan Brook writes to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, urging a review of the decision to means-test the Winter Fuel Payment and calling for the government to ensure that vulnerable pensioners, particularly those who do not claim Pension Credit, are protected from fuel poverty.

The motion also calls on the council itself to encourage local efforts to promote Pension Credit uptake through the council services and partnerships with local charities and community organisations to ensure that all eligible pensioners in Westmorland and Furness are supported in claiming their entitlement.

Other council have recently also condemned the government Winter Fuel Payment changes including Labour run Basildon Council that went further by announcing its own grants to vulnerable pensioners that have lost their usual winder heating support. Basildon Council approved a winter support grant of £100 to pensioners that are not able to access the Winter Fuel Payments from Westminster.