Plaid Cymru-led Council condemns Labour Government for giving pensioners the cold shoulder on Winter Fuel Payments

The Plaid Cymru group on Carmarthenshire County Council are seriously concerned about the thousands of pensioners in the county who will no longer receive a Winter Fuel Payment following the decision by the UK Labour Government to axe the payment for around 10 million pensioners.

Although those claiming Pension Credit will retain the Payment, a third of households entitled to this benefit do not currently claim. This means that many thousands of Welsh households on low enough income won’t receive it.

Elderly households barely above the income threshold for this benefit will be worst hit, with some missing out on the payment of up to £300 because they receive just £2-£3 too much per month.

Cllr. Hefin Jones, who represents the Llanfihangel Aberbythychward, said:

“I’m sure that we’ve all heard the horror stories of elderly citizens facing that invidious choice between heating and eating, or the tragedy of pensioners living in just the one room that they can afford to heat. The 2022 Senedd report on Fuel Poverty and the Warm Homes Programme contains an admission that ‘The Welsh Government failed to meet its statutory target to eradicate fuel poverty by 2018’.

Labour’s own analysis in 2017 found that plans by the Conservatives to make the Winter Fuel Allowance means tested would lead to almost 4,000 excess deaths that winter. It is extremely disappointing that in the Commons yesterday, all Labour MPs in Wales shamefully voted to uphold the removal of universal winter fuel allowance for most pensioners.

Labour will use the excuse of the ‘fiscal black hole’ of £22 billion in the public finances which they claim to have inherited by the Conservatives but this cut to Winter Fuel Payments will only save UK Government £1.4 billion – barely 5% of this figure. Clearly, this is not about balancing the books. This is about a lack of moral values.

I am proud that our Plaid Cymru MP, Ann Davies, stood up for the interests of pensioners in my ward and in the widerCaerfyrddin constituency by voting to retain the universal payment.”

Cllr Kim Broom, member for the Trimsaran ward, added:

“I am disappointed in our Llanelli MP, Nia Griffith, for voting against the best interests of older people in our society who were all, until now, entitled to the Winter Fuel Payment. With winter fast approaching and the energy price cap increasing by 10% next month, we needed our MP to stand up for older residents more than ever. This whole decision feels rushed and ill-advised.

Whilst I agree that many wealthy pensioners do not need to receive this benefit, many pensioners are just above the maximum income level for Pension Credit. They qualify for Council Tax Reduction but this is not a qualifying benefit for the Winter Fuel Allowance. Surely there is a way, as has been done with Child Allowance, of limiting this benefit to pensioners with lower incomes in a more nuanced and flexible way so that those who need this support can continue to receive it?”