Winter fuel payment rethink call backed by York councillors

City of York Council leader Cllr Claire Douglas and the city’s two Labour MPs have been asked to call on Chancellor Rachel Reeves to review the Winter Fuel Allowance’s eligibility threshold.

Labour’s Cllr Jason Rose, who put the request forward, said current thresholds could see some who need help narrowly miss out but means testing was right given the country’s finances.

But Liberal Democrat Cllr Carol Runciman said Labour had turned its back on pensioners locally and nationally with the cut coming alongside axing funding for York’s Age UK day clubs.

Cllr Jason Rose, Labour councillor for Acomb ward on York Council. Picture: Jason Rose/Facebook

It comes as councillors voted to back Cllr Rose’s amended version of Cllr Runciman’s motion which called for winter fuel payment cuts to be scrapped entirely.

The chancellor came under renewed pressure to reverse the cut after receiving a £10bn windfall following the Bank of England’s decision to slow its running down of government bond holdings.

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• Labour's two York MPs split over Winter Fuel Payment vote

Labour-run Stockton Council voted to condemn the cut on Wednesday, calling it deeply unfair and raising concerns about its impact on the poorest elderly residents.

York Central’s Rachel Maskell was among the Labour MPs who spoke out against the move in Parliament though her York Outer colleague Luke Charters backed the Government’s decision.

Ms Reeves has said the move is necessary to help close a £22bn black hole in the nation’s finances and ministers have called on those eligible to claim Pension Credit.

York Council has begun contacting those eligible to urge them to claim Pension Credit with an estimated £1.3 million going unclaimed in York.

The motion passed by councillors on Thursday, September 19 stated that an estimated 470 pensioners are entitled to claim it in York but do not.

Cllr Carol Runciman (Image: Chloe Laversuch)

Labour’s Cllr Rose said during the debate on Thursday, September 19 help had to be targeted to those most in need in order to stabilise the nation’s finances.

The Acomb ward councillor said: “Switching the Winter Fuel Allowance to means testing is right, the issue is where the threshold for eligibility should sit.

“Some may narrowly miss out based on the current criteria so we’re asking for the Government to look at that again.

“Everything we cut is something we don’t want to cut but here in York we’ve also got tough decisions to make.”

But Liberal Democrat Cllr Runciman said the cut, rising energy bills, introducing charges for green bin collections and day club costs could leave pensioners up to £700-a-year worse off.

The Huntington and New Earswick ward councillor said: “York Labour seems to have lost it’s way, this isn’t what residents expect or voted for.

“This cut could mean that pensioners in York who do not claim Pension Credit will have to chose between heating and eating in the 21st Century.

“Retirement should be enjoyed, not endured, it could be a very hard winter for pensioners and councillors should be trying to make it easier and not more difficult."