18,000 Pembrokeshire pensioners head into winter without Winter Fuel Payment

Eighteen thousand pensioners throughout Pembrokeshire are waking up this morning to the news that their Winter Fuel Payments are coming to an end after a Conservative Early Day Motion to block the cuts failed in Parliament.

Labour’s Henry Tufnell, who is the MP for Mid and South Pembrokeshire, obeyed his party's whips and voted in favour of scrapping the winter fuel payment while Plaid Cymru MP for Preseli and Ceredigion, Ben Lake, voted to keep it.

The winter fuel payments of either £200 or £300 are normally made in November and December to anyone over the age of 65. But now, following yesterday’s decision, they will be limited to pensioners claiming Pension Credit or other means-tested benefits such as Universal Credit, income-related employment and support allowance.

The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, told the BBC earlier this week that the impact on the 10 million pensioners losing out will be lessened by the fact that pensions will be rising by 4% in April, increasing the full state pension by £460 a year. However, pension payments are made throughout the year, rather than in a lump sum like winter fuel payments, and are not intended to cover only heating costs.

Yesterday’s decision sparked outrage in the chamber, with members fearing that many pensioners will now be forced to choose between either heating their homes or eating, this winter. These included Ben Lake, who is the MP for Ceredigion Preseli, which includes the north of Pembrokeshire.

"The new Government’s decision to withdraw the Winter Fuel Payment from all but those in receipt of Pension Credit has caused significant concern for households across Ceredigion Preseli, and will deprive thousands of pensioners in the constituency of an important source of support during the winter months," he said.

"The timing of the decision is also unfortunate, as we know that the October price cap will see energy bills increase in such a way as to place further financial strain on households. And the decision particularly impacts rural areas such as ours, where a majority of households depend on heating oil or liquid gas for their heating, which are not regulated in the same way as mains-supplied gas, and therefore do not even benefit from the limited protection offered by the price cap."

Meanwhile local Senedd member, Paul Davies, has said the decision will have huge implications on Pembrokeshire.

"Only pensioners who claim pension credit will now receive the payment of up to £300 this winter to help with higher heating bills and it’s believed that the decision to cut winter fuel payments will affect around 21, 566 pensioners in Mid and South Pembrokeshire," he said

“The next few months will be very uncomfortable for many local pensioners, who will now be unable to receive a winter fuel payment. These payments were a lifeline to pensioners and the decision to cut them by the UK Government is callous and cruel.

“The policy has been rushed through without a serious consideration of the impact that it will have – and it’s disappointing that MPs have not done more to scrutinise this policy and hold the UK Labour Government to account. Thousands of local pensioners in Pembrokeshire will go without this valuable support this winter because of the UK Labour Government’s rush to implement this policy. It’s absolutely appalling and the pensioners of Pembrokeshire deserve better.”

Data published in Pembrokeshire County Council’s corporate strategy document for 2023 to 2028 states that 26% of Pembrokeshire population is over the age over 65 which makes it the fourth highest in Wales. Whilst poverty, especially relative poverty where individuals have income below 60% of median incomes., has increased following the pandemic, Pembrokeshire’s position compared with other Welsh local authorities remains largely unchanged.

11 Sept 2024