Labour is ‘picking the pockets of pensioners’ because they are more likely to vote Conservative, Jeremy Hunt said last night.

The former chancellor said the ‘cruel’ decision to axe the winter fuel payment for ten million older people resulted from ‘sick’ political calculations.

His comments came ahead of a report today which warns that five out of six pensioners living below the poverty line will be hit by the cut

In a sign that the backlash is starting to worry No 10, the Government yesterday backed down and agreed to let MPs vote on the controversial measure before it comes into force.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves defended the move as the ‘right decision’ – and suggested that ­pensioners could afford to tighten their belts this winter. But, in an interview with the Mail, Mr Hunt suggested that the decision to target pensioners was purely political.

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‘No doubt some analysts at Labour HQ have noticed that people over the age of 60 are the one group who are more likely to vote Conservative than Labour, and maybe they think it’s OK to punish that group of ­people as a result,’ he said.

‘I would just say that you are elected to govern for all the people, not just the people who voted Labour. Punishing pensioners like this is sick.’

Mr Hunt, who clashed with Ms Reeves over the economy in the Commons yesterday, described the proposal as ‘cruel’, pointing out that most pensioners ‘do not have the ability to work an extra shift or to work a weekend to make up for loss of the winter fuel payment’.

He warned that the decision, coming at a time when the energy price cap is going up, would have a ‘very big impact on pensioner poverty’.

And he warned that Labour’s decision to bring in the cut after denying it would target the payment during the election campaign, would permanently damage the party’s credibility.

‘It will be remembered,’ he said. ‘I guarantee this – at the next ­election people will remember that this is a Chancellor who went back on her word to pensioners and went back on her word not to increase taxes.

‘In that office, trust is the most important thing, and to break your word so many times in just a few months is a really dangerous way to start.’

Mr Hunt described Labour claims that the Conservatives covered up a £22billion ‘black hole’ in its spending plans as a ‘big, fat lie’ – and pointed out that almost half of the figure was accounted for by Labour’s decision to give inflation-busting pay rises to public sector workers.

Ministers were accused of ­’running scared’ yesterday after Government sources indicated they would refuse Opposition demands for a Commons vote.

But, in a surprise move, No 10 suggested it will back down and put it to a vote next week. Yesterday, Ms Reeves said it was ‘right’ that pensioners should help bail out the public finances.

The Chancellor suggested ­pensioners could afford to take the hit as the triple lock meant the state pension is £900 higher than last year and energy bills are ‘lower than last winter’.

However a study by consultancy LCP today warns that 1.6 million of the 1.9 million pensioners currently living below the poverty line will be left worse off by the change.

Former pensions minister Sir Steve Webb said the figures were ‘jaw-dropping’, adding: ‘There is a range of ways in which the Government could target spending on winter fuel payments but our analysis shows that limiting payments only to those on pension credit will leave the vast majority of pensioners below the poverty line losing out.’