Winter fuel payments debate BLOCKED at Labour conference

  • Post last modified:September 23, 2024
  • Reading time:7 mins read


Maybe unsurprisingly, party honchos have blocked a debate on the cuts to the winter fuel payments at this years Labour conference. Currently, they have delated the vote until Wednesday – when most of the delegates, including PM Keir Starmer – will have already left:

Chaos anyone?

The Labour Party’s cut to winter fuel payments has already caused chaos. As the Canary has been documenting, Charity Age UK calculated that Labour’s move will impact 800,000 older people on very low incomes. Specifically, this is those living on less than £218.25 a week as single pensioners, or £332.95 as couples.

And despite the government’s drive to increase uptake in Pension Credit – the benefit that automatically entitles pensioners to the winter fuel payments – the majority will still miss out this winter.

According to a new equality analysis done by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) back in July, disabled people will be hit especially hard by the cut.

It also found:

83% (2.7m) of those aged 80+ currently receiving winter fuel payments will lose out, compared to 90% (7.3m) of those aged 66 to 79.

Additionally, Age UK estimate that around a million more pensioners less than £50 above the so-called poverty line will be “hit hard”. Meanwhile, in 2017 Labour itself did an impact assessment. This found around 4,000 older people could die as a result of means testing the winter fuel payment.

So as always, they are going to hit women and disabled people the hardest.

Afraid of dissent over winter fuel payments?

With growing public anger over Labour’s cruel cut to winter fuel payments, trade union Unite put forward a motion to reverse it.

Moreover, as the BBC previously reported, it also:

urges the government to introduce a wealth tax and to end self-imposed rules which prevent borrowing to invest.

However, it’s clear Reeves was running scared – postponing the motion to what Unite has branded “graveyard slot” on Wednesday. Essentially, the main speeches will have concluded, and many delegates will have left the conference by then. Given this, some were pointing out that the move is for Starmer and Reeves to save face:

It’s unsurprising, given that support for Starmer and Labour has collapsed in the polls since election.

However, the ploy hasn’t exactly panned out how Reeves likely intended it. The only thing colder than the reception the chancellor received at conference this year, is the homes of millions of pensioners this winter:

It seems fear of dissent is the only logical reason that the party blocked this debate into winter fuel payments at the Labour conference:

Labour are shameless. Both in their attempts to freeze out pensioners, and in their attempt to block debate from this years conference. They must know that they don’t have a leg to stand on.





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