‘POLITICAL ERROR’ TO CUT THE WINTER FUEL ALLOWANCE, WARNS AGE UK

CUTTING the winter fuel allowance for many pensioners was a political error, the charity director of Age UK, Caroline Abrahams, has said.

Speaking to GB News she said: “We’d seen some stories around suggesting that lots of older people don’t need their winter fuel payment, and indeed, that large numbers are using it to buy luxuries.

“So we wanted to dig into the truth. So we asked older people how they used their winter fuel payment last year, and three quarters did use it to help them with their heating bills, and another quarter used it with their food bills.

“Because, of course, all those prices have gone up so much, haven’t they, over the last couple of years.

“So even people who expected, I think, to retire very comfortably, have noticed, in their own incomes, just how much more difficult life has become. And of course, if you haven’t got much to start with, then it’s a really, really difficult situation.

“And we’ve just had our first cold snap, but we’re not even in December yet. So I think our worry at Age UK is what’s actually going to happen over December, January, February, all of which, traditionally in this country, are really cold months, especially up north and in Northern Ireland, in Scotland.

“What are people going to do there? They’re going to really struggle. And we certainly are hearing of people already who are trying to ration their energy use, turning down the heating or turning it off altogether. They’re going to put themselves at risk of the results.

“It’s not too late for the Chancellor to do something about it, even though we are heading into winter and time is rapidly running out. But she could definitely help if she chose to, and the government supported her in that.

“So we haven’t given up. And we also noticed that, for example, Labour in Scotland has said that if it wins in the election there, the year after, they’ll reinstate it. And in Northern Ireland, the government there has decided to give every pensioner £100 towards their energy bills. Only a gesture, but I’m sure, a very welcome one.

“So there are things that the government will do, and we haven’t given up hope, either for this winter…

“I have absolutely no idea what the rationale was within the upper echelons of the government, because they didn’t ask us. We weren’t consulted and nor indeed really was anybody beyond the very narrow group of people, I think.

“But clearly, the public reaction has been extremely worried. And a lot of very ordinary people just know that older people in their neck of the woods are really going to struggle this winter.

“And I think it was a mistake. It was clearly a political error, but most importantly at all, it’s going to have bad consequences for older people. So absolutely I hope very much that the government will change its mind and it could.”