Jack Clark backs Lib Dem push to protect over 13,000 pensioners in Paisley & Renfrewshire South from Winter Fuel Payment cut
Renfrewshire Liberal Democrat campaigner, Jack Clark has backed the Liberal Democrat motion in Parliament to block UK Government plans to scrap Winter Fuel Payments for most pensioners.
It comes as new analysis shows an estimated 13,386 pensioners in Paisley & Renfrewshire South are at risk of losing the £300 payment, which helps with heating bills in the cold winter months.
This is the estimated number of pensioners in the constituency who don't receive pension credit, and so will lose the winter fuel allowance under the government’s plans unless they receive other benefits. The figures were compiled by the House of Commons Library based on data from the Department of Work and Pensions.
If passed, the Liberal Democrat motion would protect local pensioners by blocking the Labour government’s changes and restoring their Winter Fuel Payments. It is set to be tabled as soon as Parliament returns next week and has been backed by all 72 Liberal Democrat MPs.
Across the country, 11 million pensioners are set to lose their Winter Fuel Payment under the government’s plans, including two million that the charity Age UK has said will struggle to afford their energy bills as a result. This is despite the average energy bill being set to rise by £149 a year from October.
The Liberal Democrats are urging the UK Government to think again to protect poorer and more vulnerable pensioners from being forced to choose between eating and heating this winter.
The Scottish Government has been preparing to replace the Winter Fuel Payment with Pension Age Winter Heating Payment and has announced that it will replicate the changes being made by the UK Government. The replacement has been deferred until winter 2025-26.
Renfrewshire Liberal Democrat campaigner, Jack Clark said:
“Hundreds of pensioners across Renfrewshire will be worried about losing this vital support and how they will afford their energy bills this winter.
“Stripping support from many of the poorest pensioners in Renfrewshire just when energy bills are set to rise again is simply wrong. It could force vulnerable elderly people in our community to choose between eating and heating this winter.
“While it is not the perfect system, the Winter Fuel Payment is a lifeline for many who are just above the threshold for Pension Credit, and for the 800,000 across the UK who are eligible but have not claimed it.
“I recognise that the new government faces difficult choices after the appalling mess left by the Conservatives. However, a rethink is urgently needed so that poorer and vulnerable pensioners in our community continue to get the support they so desperately need.”
10,186 of those aged over 80 in Renfrewshire and Inverclyde are at risk of losing their Winter Fuel Payments due to the government’s cuts, the latest official statistics (released 24th September) have revealed.
