Councilors call for u-turn on winter payment axe

Most state pensioners won't qualify

Devon County Council is set to launch a concerted campaign to persuade the Government to reverse the axing of winter fuel payments to needy pensioners.

Conservative leader James McInnes and Liberal Democrat councillor Alan Connett have signed a motion to next week's county council meeting calling on the Government to re-think.

The Government made the announcement last month that only the most needy elderly people on  Pension Credit and other benefits would continue to receive the £300 annual payment to help with their heating bills.

Even those whose only income is a basic State pension won't qualify.

In the Notice of Motion, Mr Connett says: "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.

"Council believes that the Labour Government has set the threshold at which pensioners do not qualify for winter fuel payments far too low. 

"Only those receiving a pension of less than £218.15 a week or £332.95 a week for couples are eligible for pension credits. This is significantly lower than the living wage rate."

"Council further notes that the Energy Price Cap is due to rise by 10 per cent in October which, combined by the removal of winter fuel payments, will push thousands of local pensioners into fuel poverty."

Mr McInnes said: "It hasn't taken this Labour Government long to show their true colours.

"The Government claims they will save £1.4 billion by this measure but at the same time has agreed above inflation pay increases for many.

“With their new salaries, many of them will be paying more in tax than our pensioners have to live on.

"It's estimated these pay increases will cost the country £10 billion, dwarfing the cash that will be saved from hitting some of the most vulnerable members of our community.

"It may well be that some better-off pensioners do not need this money but by making the cap so low I am concerned the Labour Government is effectively forcing some of our most vulnerable residents to choose between heating and eating this winter.

"Historically in Devon many buildings are older and hard to heat - the Government needs to realise that Devon’s residents don’t live in big cities but in rural areas.

“Older people tend to spend more time at home and so need to keep the heating on for longer.

"They're also more likely to have medical conditions which require them to keep warm.

“Research has shown that rural areas in Devon are already in the most deprived 20 per cent nationally for housing quality and the availability of central heating.

“With the proposed Energy Price Cap, the Government is creating a perfect storm for greater cost-of-living impacts on Devon’s residents.

"As a county council we will do what we can to mitigate the effects of this heartless policy but I believe the Government should use their first Budget next month to announce they are withdrawing this and thinking again.”