The British government’s decision to restrict winter fuel payments to only the poorest pensioners has been approved in a vote in parliament. The move means payments will stop for millions of pensioners, with the numbers of those entitled falling from 11.4 million to 1.5 million this year. The decision is expected to cut £1.4bn from the welfare bill this year. The government claims that the money saved will help the UK fill its £22bn “black hole”. Shouts of “shame” could be heard in the House of Commons chamber following the announcement of the vote result.
On the eve of the vote, Chancellor Rachel Reeves urged backbenchers to back the motion to means-test the payments, citing the need to tackle the government’s financial shortfall. Reports had claimed that dozens of Labour MPs might abstain in protest against the measure. Some Labour MPs who did not vote may have done so with permission from party whips or may have been absent on other business.
Only one Labour backbencher, Jon Trickett, voted against the government. Trickett argued that his constituents would face a winter of severe hardship that could even represent a matter of life and death for some, and accused energy companies of profiteering. Trickett also stated that the government should be seeking to raise revenues from the wealthy, rather than from working-class pensioners.
It is not yet clear how many Labour MPs abstained from the vote. The change is expected to help the government achieve the target of balancing the UK’s books by 2025
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