RUGBY’S MP has defended his decision to vote with the government to stop Winter Fuel Payments to pensioners who are not on pension credit or other means-tested benefits.
John Slinger said the decision was ‘not one we would have wanted to take’ but was necessary due to ‘the economic challenges we face today’.
Rugby and Warwickshire’s Conservative councillors slammed the move as ‘senseless and frankly ridiculous’, citing figures which suggest over 17,800 pensioners in Rugby will miss out on the annual payments, which are worth between £100 and £300.
The Labour MP said: “The previous government’s unfunded commitments left a £22billion hole in the country’s finances this year, forcing us to take action.
“Sufficient mitigations are in place to ensure that the most vulnerable pensioners are protected and that living standards will rise for all pensioners with the triple lock and an increase in pensions.”
He said the triple lock, which ensures the state pension increases each April in line with either inflation, average wage increases, or 2.5 per cent – whichever is highest – saw the state pension rise by £900 this year, and was projected to increase by over £1,000 in the next five years.
He also cited an extension to the Household Support Fund, the new Warm Homes Plan to improve energy efficiency in homes, and a drive to ensure all eligible pensioners claimed Pension Credit worth up to an extra £3,900 a year as mitigations to the loss of Winter Fuel Payments, and urged residents to contact Rugby Borough Council to see what financial support they may be entitled to.
He added: “The Winter Fuel Payment was previously provided in an untargeted manner. The government is absolutely committed to ensuring the poorest and most vulnerable pensioners continue to receive the Winter Fuel Payment.”
Prior to the House of Commons vote on Tuesday (September 10), Local Tory councillors – including Rugby Borough Council’s Conservative group leader Coun Derek Poole – sent an open letter to Warwickshire’s MPs, urging them to ‘do the right thing’ and vote against the change.
They said: “We are greatly concerned that Winter Fuel Payments will no longer be universal to all pensioners. This is much too narrow a group.
“Those just above the threshold will be penalised and those who are eligible, but do not claim pension credit, will go cold this winter.”
A spokesperson for Rugby Winter Care, a non-profit organisation which aims to ensure elderly residents keep warm at winter, said: “We would like to reassure Rugby pensioners who will need additional support with energy and food costs over the winter period that we will be there for them.
“We will provide a safety net to as many people as our funding allows, and we are currently working very hard to secure as much funding as possible.”
