Sir Keir Starmer has been dealt another hammer blow after an Age UK petition against plans to scrap the £300 Winter Fuel Payment for most pensioners hit its 500,000-signature target.

Labour is planning to block the cash payment for everyone in receipt of pensions except those on benefit, triggering fierce criticism and prompting the Express to launch its Winter Fuel Campaign.

Simultaneously, Age UK has been running its petition online since June 6 – and today it hit the half-million mark.

A statement carried on the charity’s website said: “Cutting the Winter Fuel Payment this winter, with virtually no notice and no compensatory measures to protect poor and vulnerable pensioners, is the wrong policy decision.

“We believe as many as two million pensioners who find paying their energy bills a real stretch will be seriously hit by this cut.”

This included people on low incomes who just miss out on Pension Credit, those with high energy needs because of disability and illness, and one million people who did not receive the Pension Credit for which they were eligible, the statement continued.

It added: “The Government should halt their proposed change to the Winter Fuel Payment and think again.”

Dennis Reed, director of the Silver Voices pensioner campaign group, which is also running a campaign which has attracted more than 100,000 signatures, told Express.co.uk: “Obviously the Age UK petition shows the extent of public support for the for our campaign and the Express’s campaign.

“I believe there are about another 20 petitions out there and I’m sure that when they are all, we will probably come to something like one million signatures, so there’s massive support for this.

“It’s likely that the government is going to force this through tomorrow, but it won’t be the end of the campaign, rather it is the start of the campaign.

“If the Labour cabinet think this is they’re going to force this through, and then it’s all going to go away, and we’re all going to curl up in the corner, then I’m afraid they’re sadly mistaken, because it will actually anger people even more.

“It wasn’t in the manifesto, it wasn’t consulted on, there was no impact assessment and if it’s forced through on a three-line whip when we know that the majority of Labour MPs don’t actually support it, then it will be seen as an undemocratic measure. It won’t go away – the next target date will be the budget.”

Currently, all pensioners receive a Winter Fuel Payment, which is a universal benefit designed to help with heating costs during the winter. The payment varies depending on age and household circumstances.

However, there is an extra £300 payment specifically aimed at pensioners who are not receiving means-tested benefits, intended to provide additional support to those who might not otherwise receive significant financial help.

Sir Keir Starmer’s Government is planning to removing this additional cash for pensioners who are not on means-tested benefits.

However, the controversial move has prompted widespread criticism, with dozens of MPs from across the political spectrum backing a Daily Express campaign calling on the Government to reverse its decision.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme this morning, Sharon Graham, general secretary of Unite, urged the Prime Minister to be “be big enough and brave enough to do a U-turn on this choice. It’s completely wrong”.

She added: “People do not understand how a Labour government has decided to pick the pocket of pensioners and, at the same time, leave the richest in our society totally untouched. That is wrong and he needs to change course.”

Her comments come ahead of a Parliamentary vote tomorrow, which is likely to see the Prime Minister suffer another backbench rebellion.

A dozen Labour backbenchers have signed a motion put forward by one of the party’s new MPs, Neil Duncan-Jordan, calling on the Government to delay implementing the policy.

Also speaking to the BBC on Sunday, Sir Keir refused to say whether or not Labour MPs will be suspended from the party for voting against cuts to winter fuel payments is “a matter for the chief whip”.

He also insisted he was is “absolutely clear” in his mind that the winter fuel allowance needs to be cut to stabilise public finances.

He continued: “Talking to many pensioners in the last two or three years, the things that have hit the most and hardest are inflation, because it got out of control under the last Government, energy bills, because the steps that were needed to be taken years ago weren’t taken, and the cost of living.