A leading rebel Labour MP has warned that the Government’s policy will deal a fatal blow to pensioners this winter.
The Division Bell hosts discuss Winter Fuel Payment
One of Labour’s growing list of rebel MPs opposing Rachel Reeves’ decision to cut Winter Fuel Payments has warned that the policy could have devastating and fatal consequences if the Chancellor presses ahead.
This morning left-wing MP Rachel Maskell warned that the move could plunge hundreds of already-impoverished pensioners into fuel poverty, with spiking cases of strokes, heart attacks, pneumonia and hypothermia.
The York MP warned of the impact in a piece for the Telegraph, saying: “We know that being cold leads to stroke, heart attacks, pneumonia, hyperthermia and so much more as the body wrestles to keep warm, and viruses prey on the frail.”
“The concern that I and many colleagues have is that people will fall through the safety net. Last winter, 4,950 people died because their homes were cold, according to research by UCL and the Institute of Health Equity based on data from the Office for National Statistics, where 21.5 per cent of excess winter deaths are attributed to cold homes.
“The fear is that, if we withdraw winter fuel payments for those in fuel poverty, it will lead to excess deaths.”
Rachael Maskell has warned pensioners will die because of the policy (Image: Getty)
She added that some of her constituents have been “frightened” by her party’s decision, and others have been left “in tears”.
The furious warning from Ms Maskell comes as the number of Labour MPs publicly opposing the policy grows.
A House of Commons motion calling on the Government to postpone any changes to Winter Fuel Payments was tabled by Labour MP Neil Duncan-Jordan four days ago, and has already amassed nearly a dozen Labour signatures.
Among them are Ms Maskell, former shadow defence secretary Jon Trickett, Clive Lewis, Nadia Whittome, Ian Lavery, Kate Osborne, Kim Johnson, Simon Opher and Chris Hinchliff.
It’s also won support from a number of the Labour MP rebels who were suspended for opposing the party over the two-child benefit cap vote in July, including former shadow chancellor John McDonnell.
Diane Abbott has also warned the policy will kill pensioners (Image: Getty)
So far 23 MPs have signed the Early Day Motion, mainly from the left of the Commons, which blasts Ms Reeves for announcing the proposed cuts “without prior consultation or an impact assessment, nor with sufficient time to put in place a proper and effective take-up campaign for Pension Credit”.
It also takes a swipe at Ms Reeves’ insistence that uptake in pension credit will mitigate the policy’s harm, describing the push to increase sign ups as “a bureaucratic and unpopular means test which undermines the benefits of universalism”.
Fellow left-wing Labour MP Diane Abbott said on social media yesterday that cutting Winter Fuel Payments for pensioners “is appalling”.
She also warned: “Old people will freeze this winter as a result.”
Yesterday afternoon former Shadow Chancellor and Treasury advisor Ed Balls warned Labour will have to find “an escape route” from the policy, describing the row as “a mess”.
Mr Balls said on his podcast with George Osborne: “They need to be really quick. They can’t wait until the Budget.”
“I don’t think you can do a U-turn, but what they need is an escape route. They need to find a creative way to do what they said they were going to do, close the in-year black hole, and find an alternative way to do it which could either be modifying what they’re doing on the winter allowance or finding some other way to close the black hole.”
