Both of Swindon’s recently-elected Labour MPs have defended voting with the government to cut the winter fuel allowance payments from all but the poorest pensioners in the country.
Will Stone, MP for Swindon North and Heidi Alexander, Swindon South MP and a government minister, voted against a Conservative motion to scrap the move despite about a dozen Labour abstentions and one MP, Jon Trickett voting with the Conservatives.
The cut means that instead of 10.5million pensioners receiving winter fuel payments, about 1.5m pensioners, those who are in receipt of pension credit will get the payments of £200 for the under 80s and £300 for those over 80.
The new rules will be in force for this winter following the defeat of the Conservative motion against them.
Make the most of your Swindon Advertiser reading experience with our digital subscription.
— Swindon Advertiser (@swindonadver) August 2, 2024
🔴Fewer Adverts
⚫Daily Exclusive Stories
🔴Digital Edition of paper
⚫Ad-Free App
🔴Puzzles
Huge Offer currently on - £6 for 6months or 50% off for the year!https://t.co/3iAtQI2zRj pic.twitter.com/JPlAgG21zC
Ms Alexander, a minister in the Ministry of Justice, is duty-bound to support government proposals or resign her position as a minister. She said: “I totally appreciate the strong feelings that exist on this issue.
“It’s not a decision I wanted to take or expected to take when I stood for election 10 weeks ago.
It’s sadly the case though that on taking office in July, the new Chancellor discovered massive overspends in government departments racked up by outgoing Conservative ministers and she had to take immediate action.
“With our commitment to the triple lock on the state pension being worth £900 this year and a likely further £400 next year, I felt it was right to support the Chancellor in her very hard decision to restrict the winter fuel payment to the poorest pensioners.
“We are already running a campaign to boost uptake of pension credit as we know some low-income pensioners still aren’t claiming this. It’s vital that we get everyone to claim what they are entitled to as this will unlock the automatic payment of winter fuel allowance. If anyone is unsure about whether they qualify for this, they should contact my office.
“I wish we weren’t in this position but we simply couldn’t risk another repeat of the sort of chaos we saw under the Liz Truss government with her reckless and cavalier approach to managing the public finances.
Swindon North’s Will Stone issued a statement: The Labour Party is and always will be committed to protecting the most vulnerable. That is why we have committed to signing up the 880,000 poorest pensioners to Pension Credit, with approximately £3,900 a year.”
Mr Stone said anyone who was wondering if they were eligible should contact his office for help and guidance.
He went on: “Under the last Labour government pensioner poverty reduced dramatically – there were around 900,000 fewer pensioners in poverty by 2009. Under this government I am confident we will reduce the impacts of poverty for the most vulnerable – that’s why we are committed to maintaining the triple lock on pensions, with an increase of £905 this year alone.
“The Conservative government left the country in a state of economic shock. £22bn of unfunded spending commitments that the OBR were not aware of have forced the government to make tough decisions to provide stability for the country.”
“Ignoring this £22bn and doing nothing to plug the hole left by Conservatives would risk repeating past government mistakes that would put at risk pension funds and the foundations of our economy.
“I entered politics to improve people’s lives and support the people of Swindon North. I am confident that the government has the best interest of the people at its heart and will support the government in fixing our economy.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel