THOUSANDS of Barnsley pensioners have frantically searched for help since the government announced a plan to ditch a winter fuel payment for those in need.
The payment was available to almost everyone in the UK born before September 25, 1957, to help them cover heating costs.
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, from this winter, only those on pension credit or means-tested benefits will get the payment - leading to fears that millions of pensioners will struggle to pay their bills.
In Barnsley, it’s thought just 5,000 will now qualify - a huge fall on the 38,779 who received the payment last year.
According to a study, more than 3,000 Barnsley people have searched the term since Labour’s announcement, representing a 436.56 per cent rise across the country and 229.60 per cent in South Yorkshire.
Leader of the House of Commons, MP Lucy Powell, said: “If we didn’t (change this), we would have seen the markets losing confidence, potentially a run on the pound and the economy crashing.
“The Conservatives knew they had these things on their desk and they put their head in the sand.
“They didn’t take the difficult decisions that they needed to take because they knew they were going to lose the election and it was going to fall to us to do.
“And that’s why we’ve had to make some of these really difficult decisions around means-testing the winter payment so that the poorest pensioners continue to receive it but some of the wealthiest pensioners won’t.”
The first budget is set to be announced in October, which Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously warned will be ‘painful’ - though he said those with the ‘broadest shoulders should bear the heavier burden’.
Barnsley North MP Dan Jarvis told the Chronicle the government are working to support local people through a number of different schemes, as well as Barnsley Council.
He added: “The government recognises the huge contribution pensioners make to our country and will continue to provide support.”
