Labour’s Scrapping of Winter Fuel Allowance Force Pensioners into Difficult Choices Say Conservatives
Labour’s Scrapping of Winter Fuel Allowance Force Pensioners into Difficult Choices Say Conservatives
As we enter one of the coldest periods of winter with weather warnings across the area, many pensioners in Southport will be having to make very difficult choices.
Age UK have estimated that there are 2.5 million people who needed the Winter Fuel Allowance to pay for their heating. Age UK are now advising those pensioners who needed the Winter Fuel Allowance to pay their energy bills to go into debt rather than risking their health.
Mike Prendergast, Conservative Group Leader on Sefton Council and Parliamentary Spokesperson for Southport Conservatives, said, “Over 20,000 pensioners in Southport have lost the Winter Fuel Allowance because Labour, including Southport’s Labour MP, voted to scrap it for millions of pensioners. It was a shameful decision that people will not forget.”
“With the coldest part of winter now approaching and temperatures plummeting, thousand of pensioners in Southport will be worried about whether they should turn the heating on and with energy prices having gone up again recently, they will be worried about getting into debt with their energy supplier.”
“The fact is the current situation that many pensioners in Southport now find themselves in has been created by the choices made by the Labour government. They chose to do this, nobody made them do it, every Labour MP in Sefton voted for this to happen.”
“It was entirely predictable that millions of pensioners across the UK, including thousands here in Southport, would be pushed into debt because of this cruel policy.”
“Every Labour councillor in Southport also voted against measures to help local pensioners, on more than one occasion. All of them toeing the party line, supporting a move to scrap Winter Fuel Allowance for over 20,000 pensioners in Southport and around 56,000 in Sefton in total.”
“Labour said that those affected could claim Pension Credit, but many pensioners are very slightly over the threshold to be eligible and many others will have been put off by the long application form and stigma of applying for it in the first place.”
“Whilst there has been an uptick in those applying for and receiving Pension Credit, many pensioners who are eligible have not applied. I would still urge those who think they might be eligible for Pension Credit but haven’t yet applied, to do so. It’s not a perfect system but it’s what we have for the time being.”
“Age UK also have a lot of information on their website on keeping warm during the winter months and have a free advice line that can be called on 0800 055 6112, open 8am to 7pm everyday and I would urge those worried about what to do to take up any available support.”