How nearly 15,000 pensioners in every Labour constituency will lose their winter fuel payment if Keir Starmer presses ahead with controversial plan to strip benefit from 10 million OAPs _ Hieuuk
Some 15,000 pensioners in every Labour constituency will lose their winter fuel payment, a new analysis revealed.
A total of six million pensioners who now have a Labour MP will lose the subsidy – with some parts of the country hit far worse than others.
In Suffolk Coastal – where Labour has a majority of just 1,070 – nearly 25,000 pensioners are set to lose out, while tens of thousands will also be affected in South Dorset, North Somerset, Derbyshire Dales, South West Norfolk, and Forest of Dean.
Analysis seen by the Mail shows that Labour MPs will oversee the removal of the Winter Fuel Allowance for an average of 14,234 of their constituents, figures from the Liberal Democrats suggest.
Only people on pension credit or certain other benefits will receive the payments, while about 10 million others are set to be stripped of the allowance.
Sir Keir Starmer speaks in Redditch during the general election campaign. A total of six million pensioners who now have a Labour MP will lose the winter fuel payment under his government
Only people on pension credit or certain other benefits will receive the winter fuel payments, while about 10 million others are set to be stripped of the allowance (Stock Image)
It comes as Government quietly slipped out an Equality Analysis of the payment cuts on Friday night, revealing that 83 per cent of over 80s and 71 per cent of pensioners with a disability will lose the subsidy.
Disability charity Scope has now vowed to take its case against the move to Labour’s conference in Liverpool, which starts this weekend, and will seek urgent meetings with cabinet ministers.
James Taylor, the charity’s executive director of strategy and social change, said: ‘We are concerned by the Government’s decision on the Winter Fuel Payment. We know it will make life harder for older disabled people. It’s true some disabled pensioners receive pension credit but there are an alarming number who will miss out this winter.
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‘Life already costs more when you’re disabled. Higher electricity bills because of medical equipment to power. Higher heating bills because of health conditions affected by the cold.
‘Since the cost of living crisis, Scope’s helpline has heard from disabled people who are cutting back on everything they can. Going without heating, forgoing medical treatment. Sacrifices that put their health at risk.
‘We urge the government to provide a package of measures including support to end energy debt and expansion of the Warm Home Discount. We also need discounted energy bills for disabled people as a long-term solution.’
The Government’s decision to slip out the data on a Friday night, during the party conference recess, also outraged MPs.
One Labour backbencher said they were ‘deeply concerned’ that the data was not published before the Commons debated the payment last week.
‘If you are determined to push through legislation on something, it doesn’t excuse bypassing the systems of good governance,’ they told the Mail.
‘There was no reason why these regulations had to be rushed through… so they could have delayed in order to share that vital data.’
It comes as Government quietly slipped out an Equality Analysis of the payment cuts on Friday night, revealing that 83 per cent of over 80s and 71 per cent of pensioners with a disability will lose the subsidy and struggle to heat their homes (Stock Image)
The Government has insisted the move is necessary to help fill a ‘£22 billion black hole’ in the public finances inherited from the Tory government, a figure that has been widely questioned.
Liberal Democrat Work and Pensions spokesperson Wendy Chamberlain told the Mail: ‘Scrapping winter fuel payments will hurt millions of pensioners – including many in poverty. It’s the wrong decision – especially as the cost of living crisis continues to bite.
‘There are so many pensioners who are now fearful of how they will afford to heat their home over the winter. It’s not too late for the government to do the right thing. They should swallow their pride, and cancel this plan.’
