Winter fuel payment WILL be cut after Conservative attempt to block policy fails

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The winter fuel payment for pensioners will be cut after a Conservative movement to block it was unsuccessful.

The new Labour Government has been facing pressure around its support for older people, amid a controversial decision to scrap winter fuel payments for millions of pensioners. The handout will become means-tested, and restricted to those on pension credit or other benefits.

MPs voted 348 to 228 against the Tory motion for the controversial policy to be blocked in the House of Commons today. No vote was recorded for 53 Labour MPs, though this does not automatically equate to an abstention for each MP as they may have received permission to miss a vote.

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As well as the ministers, it is understood some on the list had been "slipped", meaning they were not given permission not to attend. However, 15 of the Labour MPs who signed a motion which called on the Government to delay implementing the cut were among those on the list.

It is understood that six North East MPs did abstain on the vote: Mary Foy, Ian Lavery, Emma Lewell-Buck, Andy McDonald, Grahame Morris and Kate Osborne.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Emma Lewell-Buck, Labour MP for South Shields said she was deeply dismayed to vote for or against legislation to means test those who are struggling. Her statement read: "To vote against is to say I want the wealthiest to continue to receive public funds, to vote for is to say I want my constituents to struggle.

"That's why I abstained on today's voted. Neither outcome is something I could vote for, and I have proposed alternatives to the Chancellor."

The cut to the winter fuel allowance is expected to reduce the number of pensioners in receipt of the payment, which is up to £300, by 10 million, from 11.4 million to 1.5 million. It is predicted to save the Government around £1.4 billion this year, who are looking to close a "£22 billion black hole" in public finances which they claim was "left by the previous government".

Emma Reynolds, Work and Pensions Minister, said there is "fairly widespread agreement" among MPs that the benefit should not be universal, and that the Government will target support to the poorest pensioners.

She said: "In protecting the poorest pensioners on the lowest incomes and with the greatest need, it is the right decision given the tough choices that we face. Just to be very, very clear, I have spoken to a number of (MPs) present about the Government’s decision and there actually is fairly widespread agreement that this benefit should not be universal.

"There are plenty of very wealthy pensioners who are getting transfers of £200, or £300 if they’re over 80, into their bank account and who don’t need it, so it’s right that we target this support on the poorest pensioners."