Age Scotland urges Labour MPs to vote against Winter Fuel Payment cut
Age Scotland is calling on Scottish Labour MPs to show their support for thousands of their older constituents on low and modest incomes by voting against the UK Government’s plan to end the vital Winter Fuel Payment for almost 900,000 Scottish pensioners.
Scotland’s charity for older people has written to the 37 Labour MPs representing Scottish seats urging them to put more pressure on the UK Government to reverse its decision to means-test the payment, which can be worth up to £300 a year to low-income pensioners, at such a low level.
Age Scotland has been highly critical of the Chancellor’s decision to limit the Winter Fuel Payment to those in receipt of Pension Credit and remove it from almost 300,000 pensioners living in fuel poverty.
In a message to Scottish Labour MPs, Age Scotland’s chief executive Katherine Crawford urged them to vote against the move, saying the threshold for support is “far too low” and “the government’s plan was rushed, cuts too deep and helps too few this winter”.
She added: “You may not have anticipated facing such a political conundrum so soon into this parliament, but nevertheless it is in front of you. Please don’t turn your back on the people who really need you right now – however hard this is.”
Adam Stachura, policy director at Age Scotland, said:
“We have asked Scotland’s Labour MPs to put their older constituents first and vote against the UK Government’s plans. This will be hard for them politically, but it is the right thing to do. A significant rebellion by could help get the message across that the government has made a mistake which can be remedied.
“As things stand, hundreds of thousands of pensioners in Scotland on the lowest incomes and living in fuel poverty will not receive the vital financial support they counted on this winter. These aren’t the shoulders to bear the brunt of budget cuts.
“Losing £200 or £300 from their State Pension package this winter will make life much harder for thousands of their constituents who are already struggling to manage their finances. Many will face impossible choices which will seriously affect their health.
“Abstaining on this vote won’t be enough.”
Letter to Scottish Labour MPs
Full text of the letter sent to Scottish Labour MPs:
Please vote against removing the universal winter Fuel Payment
I am sure your inboxes are full of messages from your constituents who are anxious or angry about the prospect of losing their Winter Fuel Payment. Indeed, I know that this plan from the Chancellor came as much of a surprise to you as it did the pensioners you represent.
Despite previously receiving the Winter Fuel Payment, and further cost-of-living financial support, around 4 in 10 Scottish pensioners are living in fuel poverty. A quarter are living in extreme fuel poverty. This eclipses the number of pensioners who are either in receipt of Pension Credit or are estimated to be entitled to it but not claiming it yet.
The threshold for continued support is far too low. Pension Credit was the lowest line the UK Government could have drawn, with just 12% of pensioners receiving it.
Removing it for 88% of pensioners is brutal. There will be better off pensioners who may feel they can get by without it, but there are many times more who desperately do.
Hundreds of thousands of pensioners across Scotland on low and very modest incomes, or in fuel poverty who aren’t eligible for Pension Credit will now have less money to pay for higher energy costs.
Losing £200 or £300 from their State Pension package this winter will make life much harder for thousands of your constituents. Many will face impossible choices which will seriously affect their health.
Please vote against the current plan to remove the Winter Fuel Payment.
The government’s plan was rushed, cuts too deep, and helps too few this winter.
The “mitigations” we’ve heard from government spokespeople in recent weeks are very thin indeed and just confuse things that should be happening.
- An increase in Pension Credit recipients is necessary but doesn’t help anywhere near enough people on its own. Even if everyone who was entitled to Pension Credit did receive it, that would amount to less than 20% of all pensioners. But uptake is moving too slow to have a sizeable impact this winter.
- Any rise in the State Pension from next April is part of the promised Triple Lock commitment in your manifesto. It keeps the pension in line, to some degree, with inflated costs. It is wholly unrelated to purpose of the Winter Fuel Payment and would be spread across the next financial year. It doesn’t help this winter.
I know many Labour politicians have been making strong representations to the Prime Minister and Chancellor. This is very welcome but further action is needed.
If the UK Government change course on this, it would be celebrated. Much more time is needed to properly understand the importance and impact of the Winter Fuel Payment, and how it could be reformed – if needed.
You may not have anticipated facing such a political conundrum so soon into this parliament, but nevertheless it is in front of you. Please don’t turn your back on the people who really need you right now – however hard this is.
Abstaining on this vote won’t be enough.
