Winter fuel pay decision ‘brutal’ and could lead to deaths, says Labour MP

The Labour MP Rosie Duffield says scrapping the winter fuel payment for all pensioners in England and Wales is a “brutal” decision, which, she fears, could lead to people to die.

The government announced in July plans to scrap winter fuel payments of up to £300 for pensioners in England and Wales unless they are in receipt of means-tested benefits. Up to 10 million people are at risk of losing the payment, which was introduced by the Labour government in 1997.

MPs are due to vote on the plan on Tuesday. A number of Labour MPs have signed an early day motion asking for the change to be reconsidered.

The motion was submitted by Neil Duncan-Jordan, the recently elected Labour MP for Poole, who previously worked for the National Pensioners Convention.

Duffield became the latest Labour MP to voice concerns about the planned cut on Saturday.

Speaking on the BBC’s Today programme, Duffield said despite the state pension being boosted above inflation and an increase in the household support fund, many pensioners would fall through the safety net.

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“I’ve had letters, I think we all have, from people who are suffering from ongoing illness like cancer, and their doctors are telling them how important it is to keep warm.”

“Human health is our job to protect and we know that these people are going to feel [the] cold.”

Duffield will not vote against the new measure, however, saying she will abstain: “I think the government have made it very clear to MPs how they’re going to act towards us if we do vote against, which makes for a very difficult choice.

“The prime minister has said very often, country before party, and in my case here, it’s very definitely, constituents before party.

“My job is to represent my constituents, not to sort of just suck up, really, if you like, to the leadership. And you know, I think it’s very important for those who have been there before to make a point because perhaps the newer or younger MPs don’t feel quite so safe doing that at this stage of their career.”

Last winter, close to 1 million people in England and Wales lived in homes deprived of central heating; one in 10 of those were elderly and ill.

The Office for National Statistics analysis based on the 2021 census shows that 699,500 people live in a home without central heating in England .

A total of 21.5% of excess deaths in England are related to cold homes, and the UK has the oldest and poorest housing in western Europe.

Speaking to the Guardian on Friday, pensioner Ray Watson from Copley, who will probably lose out this winter, said not having the payment would be a “big miss”. “I have a little pension from my work, which means it will take me to where I get nothing.

“But the wife keeps saying: ‘There are loads of other people worse off than us,’ so it makes me feel a bit better. Until it starts snowing.”

Watson said he and his wife, who is ill with cancer, would have to figure out a way to pay to heat their home. “If we don’t get it, we don’t get it, and we will be cold,” he said.

A government spokesperson said: “We are absolutely committed to supporting pensioners, over 12 million of whom could see their state pensions increase by almost £1,000 over the next five years.

“But given the dire state of the public finances we have inherited, it’s right that we target support to those who need it most. Over a million pensioners will continue to receive the winter fuel payment, many will benefit from the £150 warm home discount scheme, and we urge others to check their eligibility for pension credit.”