trade unions and charities yesterday slammed as a death sentence for millions of pensioners, government plans to slash the annual Winter Fuel Payment by as much as £100 and delay it by six years or more.
Dave Prentis, General Secretary of Unison, the UK’s largest public service union, said: ‘We cannot begin to call ourselves a civilised society if the ConDem government allows elderly people to sit in the cold or freeze to death in their homes.
‘They must think again about cutting these payments, particularly to the very old, because they save lives.
‘Most elderly people need to have their heating on higher and for longer and that costs a lot of money.
‘It is appalling to think of the frail and elderly in the cold because they are too frightened of running up bills they cannot hope to pay.’
Age UK Charity Director Michelle Mitchell said: ‘With energy prices set to soar next year, the Winter Fuel Payment is an absolute lifeline for millions of people in later life.
‘Older people should not have to choose between heating their home or going without other essentials.
‘When the government came into office it promised to safeguard the Winter Fuel Payment and protect society’s most vulnerable.
‘The Chancellor will be breaking his word if this valued entitlement is axed.’
The National Pensioners Convention (NPC), expressed concern over ministers considering a number of options including:
Raising the age of entitlement to the allowance from 60 to 66, earlier than has already been proposed in 2020.
Paying the allowance at 75, in line with the TV licence.
Means-testing the allowance and paying it only to those on benefits.
A pensioners spokesman said: ‘Last winter over 36,700 pensioners died of cold related illnesses – a staggering 13 pensioners every hour.
‘Yet the government is now considering taking the winter fuel allowance away from millions of households which will only make matters worse.’
He added: ‘Up to three million pensioner households are already spending more than ten per cent of their income on fuel bills, and are living in fuel poverty.
‘What older people need now is more money – not less.
‘They need to be reassured that when the cold weather comes they will not be financially punished for keeping warm in winter.’
A Treasury spokesman yesterday confirmed that a review of spending on the winter fuel allowance and child benefit is ‘in the mix’ ahead of the October spending review.
A Department for Work and Pensions spokeswoman said: ‘The qualifying age for winter fuel payments for men and women is rising in line with the increase in women’s state pension age.
‘This is a gradual process. Under the current system women’s state pension age is rising from 60 to 65 between April 2010 and April 2020.’
