Agenda item

Winter Fuel Payment

This Council notes:

1.      the Labour Government’s recent decision to restrict the Winter Fuel Payment to only pensioners in receipt of means-tested benefits like Pension Credit, as announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves and voted for by Darlington’s Labour MP Lola McEvoy;

2.      the significant role that Winter Fuel Payments play in helping older residents of Darlingtonand across the UK afford heating during the coldest months, thereby preventing 'heat or eat' dilemmas and safeguarding health;

3.      the criticism from Age UK, the Countryside Alliance and other charities, highlighting the social injustice and potential health risks posed by this sudden policy change;

4.      the additional strain this decision will place on vulnerable pensioners, many of whom do not claim Pension Credit despite being eligible, further exacerbating their financial hardship and health and well-being;

5.      16,341 pensioners will be servery impacted by the removal of this vital support;

6.      that the Labour Government failed to carry out an impact assessment and has refused to supply the information pertaining to the fictitious £20 billion blackhole; and

7.      latest figures show that more than £4,000,000 in Pension Credit is unclaimed in Darlington each year.

This Council believes:

1. that the Winter Fuel Payment has been a lifeline for many pensioners across the UK and that restricting its availability solely to those on Pension Credit risks leaving many pensioners in financial hardship;
   
   
2. while some pensioners currently in receipt of the Winter Fuel Payment may not require it, many thousands across Darlingtonsit just above the cut-off for Pension Credit and will now lose their allowance, indeed the Councils own data suggests the maximum number of new Pension credit claimants could be below five hundred;
3. the decision to means-test Winter Fuel Payments, especially with such short notice and without adequate compensatory measures, is deeply unfair and will disproportionately affect the health and well-being of our poorest older residents. It will put additional strain on the NHS, Council resources and impact the wider Darlington economy; and
4. the government’s approach fails to consider the administrative barriers and stigma that prevent eligible pensioners from claiming Pension Credit, leaving many without the support they desperately need.

Council therefore resolves to:

1. undertake an immediate review of data held by the Council on Pensioners in the Borough and bring forward, with urgency, a Council-led local awareness campaign to alert those eligible of Pension Credit, which in some respects, will help access for those most in need to the Winter Fuel Payment;
   
   
2. request the Leader of the Council to write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, urging them to reverse the decision to means-test the Winter Fuel Payment due to the inherent risk previously outlined. Also to ask the Government to ensure that vulnerable pensioners, particularly those who do not claim Pension Credit, are protected from fuel poverty;
3. directs the Leader of the Council to write to Lola McEvoy MP expressing this Council’s significant concern at her vote in support of the removal of Winter Fuel Payment;
4. directs the Leader of the Council to write to Matt Vickers MP expressing the Council’s thanks for standing up for pensioners;
5. encourage local efforts to promote Pension Credit uptake through Council services and partnerships with local charities and community organisations to ensure that all eligible pensioners in Darlington are supported in claiming their entitlement; and
6. instructs Officers to carry out an impact assessment of the Government’s decision on Council services, partners including the NHS and the wider Darlington economy.