Winter fuel payment cut could impact 64,000 Bradford OAPs

In July, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced the winter fuel allowance for pensioners would be limited to only those claiming pension credit or other means-tested benefits.

Ms Reeves announced the squeeze as part of a series of measures aimed at filling what she called a £22 billion “black hole” in the public finances.

It is expected to reduce the number of pensioners in receipt of the up to £300 payment by 10 million, from 11.4 million to 1.5 million – most of whom claim pension credit – saving around £1.4 billion this year.

And according to the data, 64,631 pensioners in the Bradford district would be affected.

A total of 77,165 Bradford district pensioners were eligible to receive the payment in 2022/23.

Under the new proposal, the number of eligible Bradford district pensioners in the future would 12,534, a reduction of just over 83 per cent.

After calls for a review, Commons leader Lucy Powell has announced it will be debated by MPs on September 10 followed by a vote.

Robbie Moore, MP for Keighley and Ilkley, said: “The new Labour Government has chosen to remove the winter fuel payment from over 64,000 pensioners across our area this winter, which will have a devastating impact on some of the most vulnerable people in our society.

“As Age UK have rightly pointed out, these measures could mean that nearly two million pensioners across the country, who badly need the money to stay warm this winter, will not receive these payments and will be in serious trouble as a result.

“The last Government successfully delivered around 11.9 million Winter Fuel Payments and Pensioner Cost of Living Payments to older people across the UK in December 2023. This afforded pensioners security in retirement, something I am concerned this Government is not supporting .

“Pensioners across Keighley and Ilkley must be afforded dignity and respect in retirement, and I will be voting against these disastrous measures and making our opposition to these plans heard in Parliament in the coming week.”

Bradford South MP Judith Cummins said: "I recognise that the dire state of public finances that has been inherited by the new Government has presented it with some very difficult decisions.

"I do appreciate the concerns many constituents have regarding the proposed changes to the winter fuel allowance, and I have raised these concerns with the government."

Ms Reeves has defended her decision, saying: “When I became Chancellor I took an immediate audit of the spending situation to understand the scale of that challenge, and I made difficult decisions to put the public finances on a sustainable footing. They were tough decisions, but they were the right decisions.

“This includes the decision to make the winter fuel payment better targeted so pensioners who need it most will get it alongside pension credits.”

One charity, Age UK, has launched an online petition calling on a re-think by the Government. It is just over 6,000 signatures short of half a million people.

Asking people to sign the online petition, Age UK said: “Cutting the Winter Fuel Payment this winter, with virtually no notice and no compensatory measures to protect poor and vulnerable pensioners, is the wrong policy decision.

“Millions of struggling pensioners won’t receive up to £300 they rely on to pay their bills.

“We believe as many as two million pensioners who find paying their energy bills a real stretch will be seriously hit by this cut: • Those on low incomes who just miss out on Pension Credit.

• Those with high energy needs because of disability or illness.

• The one million who do not receive the Pension Credit for which they are eligible.

“The Government should halt their proposed change to the Winter Fuel Payment and think again.”

To view the Age UK petition, visit https://campaigns.ageuk.org.uk/page/154268/petition

The T&A also contacted Bradford’s three other MPS, Anna Dixon (Lab), Naz Shah (Lab) and Imran Hussain (Ind), but had yet to receive a response from them.