Winter fuel cuts disgraceful, say pensioners

Older people in England and Wales not on pension credit or other means-tested benefits will no longer get annual winter fuel payments

Pensioners in Devon have criticised the government's decision to cut winter fuel payments as "disgraceful" and "disgusting".

From this autumn, older people in England and Wales not on pension credit or other means-tested benefits will no longer get annual winter fuel payments, worth between £100 and £300.

Jayne Kirkham, Labour MP for Truro and Falmouth, said the chancellor had to make some "really difficult decisions" to fix "a massive hole in the budget".

Hilda Sellick, a pensioner from Exeter, said: "I think it is disgusting, some of those people are going to die."

'A disaster'

Speaking at a community lunch in Newton St Cyres, she said: "People are frightened to put food on the table or the heating on."

Fellow pensioner Margaret Haydon said: "I think it is absolutely disgraceful what this Labour government has done.

"A lot of people are not going to be able to manage.

"It's bad enough heating the house in normal times but taking away that money is going to be a disaster."

Council motion

Ms Kirkham said the government had been pushing to restore the household support fund and would be encouraging those who can claim pension credit to apply.

"We are going to do absolutely everything we can to stop people suffering in the short term," she said.

Devon County councillor Alan Connett joined council leader James McInnes in signing a motion calling for the decision to be reversed.

Mr Connett said: "In the Devon County Council area, the number of pensioners affected by the change in eligibility criteria is 180,579.

"That means around nine in 10 pensioners currently eligible for winter fuel payments will no longer be able to claim the payment from this winter onwards."