Two-thirds of pensioners say they will have to cut back on their living costs if the government’s new restrictions on winter fuel payments come in, research has revealed.
MPs are set to vote on Labour’s plan to limit the currently universal winter fuel allowance of up to £300 for pensioners to just those on pension credit tomorrow.
It’s part of the government’s attempt to close the ”£22bn black hole” in the UK’s finances, which it claims was left behind by the Tories.
Yet, this particular plan has been poorly received by many, with charities and MPs on both sides of the Chamber worried about the impact this will have on the elderly this winter.
But, even if some Labour MPs vote against the government as expected, Keir Starmer has such a large majority (of 167) that the proposal is almost guaranteed to pass through the Commons.
A new Savanta poll, commissioned by the Liberal Democrats, has found 75% of the 2,243 pensioners in the UK will be affected by this decision.
More than half (55%) of pensioners polled said they will have to heat their homes less this winter if these changes come through, two-thirds (65%) said they will have to take cost-cutting measures.
Meanwhile 39% say they will have to cut back on other essentials, and a shocking 19% say they will have to eat less this winter.
Just over a quarter (27%) of those surveyed said they did not expect to be badly impacted.
According to the charity Age UK, the cuts to the winter fuel allowance will leave two million pensioners struggling to pay their energy bills.
The Liberal Democrats say they will take the chance to oppose the government during Tuesday’s vote.
Lib Dem leader Ed Davey said: “The government should do the right thing and change course on this.
“This decision to cut the Winter Fuel Allowance will put untold stress on pensioners, with many facing a heartbreaking choice between heating and eating this winter.
“While we understand the dire state the Conservatives left the public finances in, now is not the time to be cutting support to some of the most vulnerable people in our society.
“We cannot stand by and allow millions of pensioners to endure another winter in a cost of living crisis, Liberal Democrats will be voting against the government’s cut.”
PM Keir Starmer acknowledged that the move was “unpopular” on Sunday, but he told the BBC that the government were going to have to “do the difficult things now” to fix the country.
