Local MP Andrew Murrison has spoken out in the House of Commons against the government’s decision to cut the winter fuel allowance, expressing serious concerns over its impact on pensioners.
This year, pensioners who are not in receipt of pension credit or other benefits will no longer qualify for the winter fuel allowance, a change that could see them lose up to £300 a year. The cut is set to affect pensioners earning as little as £13,000 annually, prompting strong criticism from the MP.
Speaking in the Commons this month, Andrew Murrison MP said, “Old people die in cold homes, and they die particularly if they are very old. Does my right honourable friend think that if the government are not minded to change their mind entirely, they might look at those aged over 80? Those people are in receipt of the higher rate of winter fuel payment, and paragraph 3 of the regulations points out that there is a difference between those over 80 and those under 80. That might be one way the government could make this slightly less worse than it otherwise is.”
The MP also raised concerns about the disproportionate effect the cuts will have on pensioners living in rural areas, “Is the Leader of the House concerned that those who will suffer as a result of the government’s decision to cut the winter fuel allowance live in remote, rural locations, in homes that are often difficult to insulate and off-grid? Could we have a debate in government time on how the government’s early priorities will disproportionately impact those living in the countryside in remote and rural locations?”
In response to the cuts, the MP has signed a petition urging the government to reconsider, and is encouraging others to support it as well: https://www.whatlaboursaid.com/winter-fuel-payment.
“Ministers are making a political choice to cut winter fuel payments – a choice they failed to mention when asking for votes just a few weeks ago,” he added. “The more people who back our petition, the harder it will be for the government to ignore.”
