By GB News (World News) | Created at 2024-10-29 18:23:43 | Updated at 2024-10-30 19:18:11
1 day ago
Conservative MP Mel Stride has delivered a petition to the Treasury, demanding the reversal of planned cuts to Winter Fuel Payments.
The petition, signed by over 250,000 people, calls on Chancellor Rachel Reeves to scrap the proposed means-testing of the benefit.
Speaking to GB News, Stride said: "They struggled with the weight of the petition, actually, because it's over a quarter of a million signatories and our Conservative Party petition calling on the government and Rachel Reeves tomorrow in particular, to scrap this means testing of the Winter Fuel Payment.
"It means 10 million pensioners losing out, and two thirds of those pensioners below the poverty level will lose this benefit. And we don't believe that's right."
Asked if he ever thought about making this move during his time in Government, Stride explained: " So inevitably around all fiscal events, everything gets looked at.
"I never came anywhere near taking a decision like this. It's just totally the wrong thing to do.
"As I said earlier, you know, two thirds of those pensioners that are below the poverty line are actually going to miss out on this benefit.
"We've just seen the energy price cap is about to go up by 10 per cent. At the same time as we're making these cuts there are pensioners out there now who are going to have to take that decision between heating and eating, and we really need to see this policy reversed. Tomorrow is Rachel Reeves chance to do just that."
Chancellor Rachel Reeves will deliver Labour's first Budget tomorrow
PA
Labour has defended the decision to means-test Winter Fuel Payments as necessary to fill a financial 'black hole', with projected savings of £1.4billion this year alone.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves acknowledged it was a "difficult choice' but blamed the "difficult circumstances" on the previous government.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer told the BBC: "We can't bring about that change if we don't fix the fundamentals and stabilise our economy."
He added that inflation and energy bills had hit pensioners hardest in recent years.
Mel Stride said that the Chancellor still has the time to fix this
GB News
However, the move has faced criticism from both sides of the political spectrum.
Former PM Rishi Sunak accused the Government of prioritising "train drivers over pensioners", while Unite union general secretary Sharon Graham urged a U-turn on the policy.
The Winter Fuel Payment is currently a universal benefit for pensioners, providing between £200 and £300 depending on age.
It was introduced by Labour in 1997 and expanded to all pensioners in 2000.
