Winter Fuel Payment 2025-03-19

Recalls Government's claim that the cut would affect only the wealthiest, but argues that many affected are on low incomes.

Questions Labour MPs' absence from the debate and their stance on supporting pensioners.

Anticipates a lack of sympathy from the Government Minister, expecting to see similar attitudes as in recent media appearances.

Highlights delays in processing pension credit applications, which affected access to Winter Fuel Payment during cold periods.

Asked Helen Whately to be honest with the House regarding the impact of means-testing on pensioners.

Agreed that it was right to address the issue of working individuals receiving winter fuel allowance, but opposed taking money from poorest pensioners. Supported Conservative policy in contrast to Labour's impact on pensioners.

Pressed Minister for clarity on responsible decision-making regarding winter fuel payment cuts, highlighting concerns of pensioners who are worried about heating costs.

Congratulated Hartlepool citizens advice bureau for raising additional income for pensioners through better benefit claim support. Acknowledged proactive approach to helping pensioners receive benefits they are entitled to.

Questioned the Minister on Government analysis indicating 100,000 pensioners being pushed into poverty by cuts. Highlighted need for responsible policy choices.

Emphasised the harsh reality faced by constituents due to winter fuel payment cuts, stating that forcing pensioners into poverty is irresponsible. Highlighted personal stories of hardship.

Welcomes the Government's efforts but argues that the campaign does not reach pensioners too proud to come forward. Mentions the loss of the £300 winter fuel allowance as a lifeline for these hard-working pensioners.

Acknowledges Wendy Morton's point about barriers faced by certain groups and emphasises the importance of awareness campaigns. Defends the Government’s financial management, highlighting efforts to improve living standards for pensioners through increased take-up of pension credit.

Critiques the Minister's statement about quality over quantity of supporters behind him, referencing the £22 billion financial black hole left by previous irresponsible financial management.

Asks for a chance to speak but is deferred by the Minister due to time constraints.

Raises concerns about residents in Maidenhead who are not eligible for pension credit and highlights the difficult choices they face regarding energy bills or savings. Questions whether this represents a positive change introduced by the Government.

Questions whether research was conducted on the impact of removing winter fuel allowance, citing previous work done under Labour in 2017 that showed potential excess mortality due to colder homes. Asks for clarity on current data regarding this issue.

Responds to Dr Murrison's concerns by stating there is no robust analysis separating out different causes of winter excess mortality and notes that deaths have actually come down in the current winter period.

Points out inconsistencies between applications and awards for pension credit, highlighting those who are right on the cusp but not eligible. Asks what support is available to these individuals who feel entitled to pension credit.

Considers a review of winter fuel payments based on previous assessments showing significant negative impacts on those right on the cusp of poverty. Questions whether rejecting this policy is necessary to avoid impoverishing pensioners.

Raises concerns about pensioners being pushed just over the pension credit threshold, resulting in them being worse off than those on lower incomes. Suggests introducing a taper to mitigate this issue.

References a Resolution Foundation paper that predicts gloomy living standards due to tax rises and lacklustre economic growth. Questions the direct correlation between these cuts and their impact on vulnerable pensioners in different constituencies.

Asked the Minister to develop a rural winter fuel poverty strategy for off-grid pensioners who are suffering now.

Asked if the Government is happy that millions of pensioners will have to start paying income tax due to changes made by previous governments.

Noted Labour's hypocrisy in opposing the winter fuel payment change while supporting it in their 2017 manifesto.

Disappointed with Chancellor's autumn Budget, which increased pensioner poverty. The scrapping of the winter fuel allowance means 100,000 more pensioners in relative poverty and significant delays in claims for benefits.

Critiqued the Government's decision to scrap the winter fuel payment and highlighted Labour’s achievements from 1997, such as reducing pensioner poverty and introducing key legislation.

Questions Labour's framing of necessary budget cuts while pointing out examples of other expenditures by the party. Expresses pensioners' confusion over simultaneous need to cut winter fuel payments and spending on various projects.

Supports Louise Jones's argument that providing triple lock for pensions is a clear manifesto commitment of the Government, stressing the importance of this policy compared to previous ones under the Conservative party.

Questions the fairness of large sums being given to train drivers and projects like GB Energy while winter fuel payments are cut for pensioners. Emphasises the need to protect pensioners who have worked their whole lives.

Asks about GB Energy's role in reducing energy bills, questioning its effectiveness if it does not fall under its remit.

Supports Louise Jones by highlighting that the winter fuel payment is devolved to the Scottish Government and can be adjusted there. Calls out SNP Member for Aberdeen North for her silence on this issue.

Challenges Louise Jones about the inconsistency between her party's election manifesto that did not include removing winter fuel payments and her current support of the Government's policy. Asks if she regrets her position now.

Intervenes to correct a historical fact, stating that David Cameron introduced the triple lock on pensions.

Asked Joy Morrissey whether it is clear that the Conservative party will reintroduce a universal winter fuel payment at the next election.

Agrees with Joy Morrissey, stating that Labour's decision on the winter fuel payment was not in their manifesto and brought forward without an impact assessment.

Challenges the Conservative party about transparency and honesty, suggesting they concealed the true state of public finances from the Labour party when preparing for government.

Asked Joy Morrissey to set out the basis for the Conservative party abandoning UK’s net zero targets.

Recalled that when he was Paymaster General, officials asked whether they would remove the winter fuel payment. He knew it would negatively impact 71% of pensioners with disabilities and chose not to do so.

Suggests that new Ministers, like those in Labour government, might be naive and allow previously rejected ideas to be put forward again.

Argues the importance of making decisions based on principle rather than necessity. Supports targeting winter fuel payments based on need but acknowledges that many pensioners are struggling despite rises in state pensions.

The hon. Member questioned if someone earning £13,500 is too rich to receive a winter fuel payment, challenging the principle behind the policy change.

The right hon. Member criticised the Conservative Party for failing to act on issues such as NHS inefficiencies and flooding during their tenure in power.

She questioned whether pensioners would feel anger towards the Labour Government, suggesting that pensioners may be more critical of the changes made by the current administration.

The hon. Member defended the Conservative Party's record on protecting vulnerable pensioners and criticised the Labour Government for increasing salaries for train drivers while removing winter fuel payments, which he argued was a betrayal of those in need.

She questioned whether the hon. Member supports pay rises for public sector workers such as soldiers and nurses.

The hon. Member supported his colleague's argument, emphasising that the only people asked to make sacrifices were poor pensioners while train drivers received exorbitant pay increases.

Asked if Government Members would make the same decision again, highlighting that the previous Labour government also had to take difficult decisions.

Offered an alternative to withdrawing winter fuel payments: scrap GB Energy, do not give money to Mauritius and restore the winter fuel payment. Criticised the government for taking difficult decisions but not supporting alternatives.

Acknowledged that there is not a £22 billion black hole as claimed by the current government, and pointed out that effects of covid and war are part of the issue. Criticised spending on asylum hotels and train drivers' pay rises.

Asked about market turbulence and referred to it as once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, stating that they would have made different choices from the current government. Criticised the Conservative party for arguing against stripping out covid effects.

Acknowledged pensioners' challenges but emphasised their inability to earn money compared to those still working, supporting the government's decision on winter fuel payments for those in receipt of pension credit.

Disappointed by stripping vital support from poorest pensioners despite financial situation inherited. Received hundreds of emails from concerned pensioners about energy bills this winter.

Pays tribute to pensioners in his constituency who have made immeasurable contributions. Criticises Tory mismanagement leading to spiralling inflation, long NHS waiting times and an unfit-for-purpose social care system. Highlights the household support fund providing help for those just below the threshold. Emphasises Labour's commitment to protecting pensioners' incomes with measures such as ending plans to drag pensioners into paying income tax and uprating personal tax thresholds.

Points out that it is the poorest pensioners who are losing out, not those earning just above £13,500. Advocates for focusing on vulnerable pensioners rather than discussing wealthy individuals like Richard Branson.

Questions why the Conservative party did not address underclaimed pension credit which has 700,000 people missing out if they genuinely cared about vulnerable pensioners.

Acknowledges that removing winter fuel payment for higher-income individuals may be desirable but argues it needs a mechanism to verify vulnerability. Defends the difficult choices faced by the government and supports the household support fund as available help.

It is an honour to take part in this debate, and this is an extremely pertinent time for it. We all hope we are through the worst of the winter—although in my part of the world nobody puts their snow boots away until we have got through lambing season, because lambing storms usually bring snow—but we need to know, as we get through the winter and into the better weather, what the impact of this policy decision has been on our pensioners, on our health service, on A&E admissions and on other allowances and benefits. We need to know the overall cost of the decision. The hon. Member for Makerfield (Josh Simons), who is no longer in his place, suggested that he has more pensioners in his constituency than anyone else. Having checked with the House of Commons Library as I sat here, I assure him that Staffordshire Moorlands has more, because we have 22,197 compared with his 20,909. Of those 22,197, over 20,000 of them have been affected by this decision, and Staffordshire Moorlands, as the name suggests, is not exactly warm.

I start by acknowledging the clear impact that I have had on the hon. Member for Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy (Melanie Ward). I am not sure why or how I have had that impact, but it was clear that she was drastically upset at me, despite the fact that I had been sitting quietly throughout the debate until that point. I will talk about why the Labour Government took this decision—why the Chancellor’s first decision was to target pensioners. It was because the Government talked in their manifesto about the fiscal rules that they would put in place, and said that they would not raise taxes on working people, among a number of other policies.

I know that, for the Government Front Benchers, I may well be repeating myself, but I think I need to: £300 may not seem like a lot of money, but believe you me, for the thousands of pensioners in my constituency and up and down the country who have missed out on their winter fuel payment, it is a lot. As we have heard this afternoon, and as Labour Members know, it is the difference between heating and eating. What does the Minister say to someone who is terminally ill or has a life-threatening illness, is just over the pension credit limit, and misses out because of the Labour Government’s callous policy? Does the Minister accept the finding that the chance of an over-65-year-old being admitted to hospital or A&E this winter increased by 9% compared with 2023-24—an increase of 76,190 patients?

The debate atmosphere has been strange with Government Members showing arrogance rather than humility. Pensioners will suffer as a result of this decision, and the number of pensioners seeking emergency care has increased by 5% over the winter.

The motion calls for those eligible for Pension Credit to receive it. Despite criticism, there is no movement in pension credit take-up under the current government, despite previous promises by the Conservative party.

The decision to withdraw the winter fuel payment from those earning £13,500 is a cruel policy leading to excess deaths. In Farnham and Bordon alone, over 18,200 pensioners have lost this payment without an impact assessment being conducted.

The Government's economic mismanagement is forcing elderly individuals in Bognor Regis and Littlehampton to make impossible choices during winter. Nearly 90% of the constituency’s pensioners will lose their fuel payment, leading to increased strain on health services.

Labour MPs are complicit in taking away winter fuel payments, affecting 71% of disabled pensioners. This has led to a £169 million cost increase for the NHS as it deals with more health issues from colder homes.

Supports Mr Bedford's position that removing winter fuel payments does not benefit the NHS, citing the chief executive of NHS England who stated that every penny put into the NHS is offset by national insurance rises, inflation, and drug price increases.

Voters knew they would face difficult choices under a Labour government but were not prepared for policies like removing winter fuel payments which were not part of the manifesto. He criticises the Government's failure to deliver on promises such as reducing energy bills by £300.

Agrees with Lewis Cocking that the removal of winter fuel payment is unjustified and not in line with what voters expected. He emphasises the importance of policies for securing domestic oil and gas production to lower energy bills.

Proposes joining a single market in electricity with Europe to reduce Britain's electricity bills, disagreeing with Lewis Cocking who favours increasing domestic oil and gas production instead.

Questions whether Labour will provide clarity on their stance regarding the winter fuel allowance and asks if they would reverse the policy.

Points out that in every election campaign, Labour runs a scare story about cutting the winter fuel payment but then removes it once elected. He criticises Labour for betraying trust and causing upset among constituents.

Defends Labour's decision to means-test the winter fuel allowance, stating that difficult decisions were necessary after 14 years of Conservative governance. He highlights increased investment in NHS through a £22.6 billion increase in day-to-day health spending.

Questions the Minister's statistics on hospital admissions, arguing that his policy towards pensioners is causing increased pressure on NHS services.

The Government recognises the struggle many face in affording energy bills and acknowledges rising energy debt. They engage continuously with energy suppliers to support vulnerable consumers, including pensioners. The warm home discount scheme is expanded to reach around 6 million households next winter.

According to the impact assessment, about 100,000 pensioners could be pushed into poverty by changes to winter fuel payments. She asked for clarification on the range of uncertainty around this figure.

Responded to criticism by highlighting that under Labour, 300,000 pensioners were pushed into relative poverty. He criticised the Conservative party for being inhumane and driving people to food banks.

Asked at what point uptake of pension credit would eliminate savings from cancelling winter fuel payment, suggesting neither side is clear on policy specifics.