ALMOST 40,000 pensioners across Barnsley are set to lose out on their winter fuel payment this year due to ‘catastrophic economic inheritance’ from the last government, a local MP has said.
The decision, announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, states that the benefit will now only apply to those who are on pension credit.
The new ruling will be introduced this winter, with the benefit being handed to pensioners who receive less than £218.15 a week - or less than £332.95 as a joint weekly income with their partner.
The payments of up to £300 helped older residents on a limited income keep up with their energy bills and stay warm in winter, and were introduced by the last Labour government in 1997.
But it now means that across Barnsley, 86.7 per cent of pensioners - a total of 38,779 who received the payment last year - will now miss out under the means-tested guidance.
As few as 5,950 people could be eligible under the new rules.
Barnsley North MP Dan Jarvis told the Chronicle the Labour government are working to support local people through a number of different schemes.
He added: “Nobody in this new Labour government serves in politics to make changes to the eligibility for winter fuel payments.
“This decision is a very unfortunate consequence of the catastrophic economic inheritance from the last Conservative government.
“The government recognises the huge contribution pensioners make to our country and will continue to provide support by protecting the pensions triple lock, ending the injustice of the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme, promoting much greater take up of the pension credit and through our Warm Homes Plan.”
Charity Age UK has blasted the plans and started an online petition to try to change the guidance - and it’s already garnered more than 387,000 signatures across the country.
A spokesperson for the charity said: “We strongly oppose the means-testing of the winter fuel payment because it means as many as two million pensioners who badly need the money to stay warm this winter will not receive it and will be in serious trouble as a result.
“Means-testing the winter fuel payment, with no notice and no compensatory measures to protect poor and vulnerable pensioners, is the wrong policy choice, and one that will potentially jeopardise the health as well as the finances of millions of older people this winter - the last thing either they or the NHS needs.
“This cut is happening in England and Wales.
“In Scotland and Northern Ireland decisions about the payment are devolved, and not yet clear, but it’s likely that the UK government will no longer provide the money to cover the cost of what pensioners in those nations receive now.
“The government should halt their proposed change to the winter fuel payment and think again.”
Money guru Martin Lewis has also opposed the cuts, stating that those just above the threshold will be the ‘hardest hit’.
“Many pensioners eke out the £100 to £300 winter fuel payments to allow them to keep some heating on through the cold months,” he added.
“While there’s an argument for ending its universality due to tight national finances, it’s being squeezed to too narrow a group.
“The Energy Price Cap is likely to rise ten per cent this October and stay high across the winter, leaving most energy bills nearly double those pre-crisis, at levels unaffordable for millions.”
