Council to lobby on 'unfair attack on pensioners'

The council motion said pensioners might have to choose between heating or eating this winter

Councillors have voted to lobby Sir Keir Starmer to reverse the decision to cut winter fuel payments to some pensioners.

Conservative-controlled North Northamptonshire Council agreed that its leader should write to the prime minister urging him to reconsider the controversial move.

The council heard the move would affect around 57,000 people in the area this year.

Labour members accused the Tory administration of running a "political stunt".

The Winter Fuel Payment, worth up to £300, was available to all pensioners regardless of income, but MPs voted last month to restrict the payment to those on certain benefits.

The Conservative councillor Russell Roberts proposed a motion to Thursday's council meeting to support the leader's plan to write to the prime minister about the issue.

He said that pensioners may have had to choose between "heating or eating" this winter.

Independent councillor Martin Griffiths described the winter fuel payment changes as "dreadful, unfair and unnecessary"

Independent member Martin Griffiths said the current government should be “ashamed” for considering withdrawing the payments.

He told the chamber: “To our elderly people affected by this dreadful, unfair and unnecessary attack on them, please do not choose between heating and eating.

"Keep your heating on in periods of cold weather this winter. Do not put your health and well-being at risk.

The Labour leader on the council, Matt Keane, said even Sir Richard Branson was entitled to the fuel payment under the old rules

The leader of the Labour opposition on the council, Matt Keane, said: "The motion states that this will affect the health and well-being of our poorest older residents.

"This is not true. Everyone was entitled to the winter fuel allowance, even those at the very richest - people like Sir Richard Branson and Alan Sugar were entitled to this.

"It’s absolutely crazy to be giving benefits to millionaires."

He added: "I don’t want to see any struggling pensioner being denied help, but the government shouldn’t be chucking cash where it’s not really needed."

His Labour colleague, Valerie Anslow, accused the administration of performing a "political stunt" in introducing the motion and suggested that the leader writing a letter "is not going to do any good".

The Local Democracy Reporting Service reported that the vote was passed with 45 members agreeing that the leader should write a letter and 12 voting against it.