Pensioners feel 'picked on' over fuel allowance cut

Pat Hollinshead, 68, said the government should look at other ways to make savings

A pensioner who runs a community centre has accused the government of “picking on” the elderly with its plans to cut winter fuel allowance.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s government has proposed restricting the payout to the poorest pensioners, with MPs set to vote on the plan later.

“As soon as he got into power, he has picked on the pensioners,” said Pat Hollinshead, 68, who runs Manningford Hall Community Centre in Druids Heath, Birmingham.

In a speech on Tuesday, Sir Keir reiterated his stance that the previous Conservative government had left a £22bn "black hole" in the budget and this was forcing him to make difficult decisions.

However the Conservatives have accused the government of exaggerating the problem.

The government plans to limit the winter fuel allowance to pensioners who receive pension credit or other means-tested help, which would leave more than nine million people no longer eligible for a payout of up to £300 a year.

Pension credit is available for pensioners whose weekly income is below £218.15 if they are single, or below £332.95 if they are in a couple.

Ms Hollinshead runs a warm hub and other services at Manningford Hall Community Centre

But Ms Hollinshead, who runs a warm hub and other services at her community centre, said she often saw people who were just above the threshold for pension credits and still needed financial help.

“There [are] genuine people out there who need it,” she said of the winter fuel allowance.

She cited the example of a 67-year-old woman who attended the breakfast club at her centre and was only £3 over the pension credit threshold.

Ms Hollinshead added that she was "sick and tired of hearing about the black hole", because she felt that the government could look at other measures to improve public finances.

In a speech on Monday, Chancellor Rachel Reeves pointed to the government's commitment to the "triple lock", under which the state pension goes up each year by either 2.5%, inflation or average earnings – whichever is higher.

The new full state pension is expected to rise by £460 a year from April under this arrangement, according to data released on Tuesday.