WEST WORCESTERSHIRE MP Dame Harriett Baldwin has welcomed the Government’s reinstatement of pensioners’ winter fuel payments.
The MP has campaigned since the change was announced, which removed vital support from millions of elderly people who were not eligible for certain benefits such as pension credit and universal credit.
In last October’s Budget, the £300 payment was withdrawn for those not on certain benefits but a Government u-turn means pensioners with an annual income of £35,000 or less will receive the payment automatically this winter, without needing to complete extra paperwork.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced that more than 75 per cent of pensioners in England Wales will now be entitled to the payment. The changes do not extend to Scotland and Northern Ireland, where devolved policies are in place.
Under the last Government, 27,000 people in West Worcestershire received the extra support to help with winter fuel costs.
Dame Harriett said: “This was a chilling political choice made by the Chancellor last summer to take money from pensioners and hand it to her union paymasters.
“All the evidence shows that many more elderly people had to visit hospital last winter and many pensioners shivered.
“Today’s screeching u-turn is the right thing to do but it must surely come hand in hand with an apology to all the people who had to suffer.”
