Nottinghamshire Labour MP says late grandparents would have 'criticisms' of Winter Fuel Payment cut
A Nottinghamshire Labour MP has defended voting for a cut to the winter fuel allowance despite admitting his late grandparents would "probably have had criticisms" of the decision. Michael Payne, elected as the new MP for Gedling following the July general election, says the move was necessary given the "mess" that Labour inherited from the Conservative government.
A Nottinghamshire County Council meeting on Thursday (September 26) saw a motion being approved which will see the Conservative-led authority writing to the chancellor, calling for the winter fuel payment policy to be suspended and reviewed. The motion also said the council should write to all Nottinghamshire MPs, asking them to support the halting of winter fuel payment changes.
Rachel Reeves announced soon after taking office that households across England and Wales would only be entitled to the winter fuel payment if they received pension credit or certain other means-tested benefits. The DWP estimates that 1.5 million people will still receive a payment this winter.
Yet the motion at Thursday's Nottinghamshire County Council meeting said the change would mean nearly 90% of Nottinghamshire pensioners being unable to claim winter fuel payments. Age UK has been among the organisations criticising the move, with the charity saying it will "leave millions of struggling pensioners without money they rely on."
Michael Payne, who still serves as a councillor alongside his MP role, spoke about his vote in favour of the winter fuel allowance policy by saying: "I lost my grandma eight years ago and I miss her every single day. I lost my grandad last year and I miss him every single day. I know both of them would probably have had criticisms of the decision that was taken and I think about that every single day...
"Nobody in this chamber wants to see a single pensioner die this winter... This government is doing more in the first 12 weeks for pensioners than any of you lot [Conservatives] did for 14 years."
Yet Councillor Steve Carr, the independent councillor who created the motion, argued: "I fully understand that the government has difficult decisions to make, but why are they starting at the bottom, why don't they start at the top? The people I speak to are frightened about losing a vital lifeline this winter, many are struggling on a low income and will be forced to make drastic cutbacks.
"That's why we should be urging the government to delay its plans to means test the winter fuel payment until more people can apply for pension credit." Councillor Kate Foale, the Labour group leader on the county council, acknowledged she was concerned about the move but also argued it was necessary given the record of the Conservative government.
Councillor Foale said: "The state of the public finances is appalling so it really isn't surprising that our Labour MPs are having to make these difficult decisions. All Labour members will work cross-party to support any of our residents who are struggling and who need our help."
Independent councillor Lee Waters labelled Labour's measure "an assault on the dignity and wellbeing of Nottinghamshire's pensioners", adding: "The threshold they have set is a joke. Labour seem to believe pensioners living just above this line are somehow comfortable when in reality, they are scraping by." The motion was eventually backed by all Conservative and independent councillors, with all the Labour councillors voting against it.