Sunak accuses PM of 'hiding' winter fuel cut impact

Sir Keir Starmer has refused to say whether his government will publish an assessment of the impact of removing winter fuel payments from most pensioners.

At Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs), Conservative leader Rishi Sunak accused the prime minister of "hiding" the analysis and asked how many deaths would be caused by the policy.

Sir Keir said his decisions to "stabilise the economy" meant he could increase in pension payments.

No 10 was later asked about other changes that could affect pensioners.

A Downing Street spokesperson committed to keeping free bus passes, but did not rule out changes to the council tax discount for those living alone.

On Tuesday, the government won a vote on its plans to remove winter fuel payments, worth around £200-300, from 10 million pensioners in England and Wales.

The policy is expected to save around £1.3bn in 2024/25 and £1.5bn in following years.

Only one Labour MP voted against the measure, but around 20 others appear to have abstained in protest at the cut.

Later on Wednesday, the Labour government suffered its first defeat in the House of Lords over its winter fuel payments plan.

But the Conservative “regret motion” - which was backed by 164 votes to 132 - only amounted to a protest and will not stop the cut going ahead.

An attempt by a former Conservative pensions minister, Lady Altmann, to stop the cut was defeated by by 138 votes to 30.

Outgoing Tory leader Sunak used the weekly PMQs session to demand the government publish an impact assessment of the measure.

He said previous Labour assessments had calculated that the policy could cause 3,850 deaths and asked if the government's own impact assessment would put the figure at a higher or lower number.

Sir Keir said the measure was necessary to stabilise the economy and that the government was putting "mitigations" in place.

He added that Labour's commitment to the triple lock - which guarantees pensions rise in line with average wages, inflation or by 2.5% - would ensure an increase in pension payments that would "outstrip any loss of payment".

He repeated his previous assertion that the Conservatives had left a "£22bn black hole" in the public finances and said Sunak should apologise.

Sunak said he had delivered "record increases" in the state pension while Starmer was "taking money away from pensioners on £13,000".

Following PMQs, a No 10 spokeswoman also refused to confirm whether ministers would publish the document, but insisted the government had "operated with openness and transparency" on the policy.

"Ministers will receive advice on the development of all policies but we don't routinely provide a running commentary on the advice that they receive,” she said.

She added the government was committed to “supporting the most vulnerable”, pointing to the increased uptake in pensions credit as well providing support through the Warm Home Discount and the Household Support Fund.

She said the government didn't recognise previous Labour party analysis in 2017 that 4,000 pensioners could die if winter fuel payments were cut.

During PMQs, Conservative MP Louie French asked if the prime minister would rule out scrapping concessionary travel fares and council tax discounts "which help millions of pensioners".

Sir Keir replied that he would not "pre-empt" the Budget, due in October, when Chancellor Rachel Reeves will set out the government's tax and spending plans.

Later, his spokesperson said there were no plans to change the policy which gives free bus passes to pensioners.

However she did not make the same commitment on the single person's council tax discount.

The discount, which allows those living alone to claim 25% off their local council bill, is estimated to cost councils £3bn.