The new Labour Government made the choice to scrap the winter fuel allowance for the pensioners not on benefits or receiving pension credit. This is the opposite of action taken by previous Conservative administrations where protection was made. Charities have criticised the changes and claims have been made that up to 2 million financially struggling older people could lose annual payments worth hundreds of pounds.
A charity director at Age UK, said:
Our initial estimate is that as many as 2 million pensioners who badly need the money to stay warm this winter will not receive it and will be in trouble as a result…Means-testing winter fuel payments this winter, with virtually no notice and no compensatory measures to protect poor and vulnerable pensioners, is the wrong policy decision, and one that will potentially jeopardise their health as well as their finances - the last thing they or the NHS needs.
The position of our local representatives?
