Winter Fuel Payment: Labour called to ‘come clean’ as party’s research finds 4,000 pensioners to die in benefit cut

Labour are being called to reveal how many pensioners will die as a result of the Winter Fuel Payment being means-tested by campaigners.

Earlier this year, Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed the up to £300 in energy bill assistance would be no longer be made universal, impacting 10 million pensioners.

Older Britons will now need to be in receipt of means-tested benefits from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), such as Pension Credit, to claim.

This week, pensions minister Liz Kendall revealed the results of the Government’s impact assessment which found 100,000 pensioners will fall into poverty in the next two years.

According to campaigners, these figures underestimate the real impact of the energy bill benefit being effectively cut.

Criticism have been levied on the lack of transparency over how the NHS will be affected with the Winter Fuel Payment safety net being withdrawn.

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Based on Labour’s own research during the 2017 election campaign, under then-leader Jeremy Corbyn, 4,000 pensioners would die if the allowance were means-tested.

The party’s research determined nearly half of the almost 10,000 drop in “excess winter deaths” resulting from cold weather between 2000 and 2012 was due to the introduction of the Winter Fuel Payment.

Dennis Reed, the director of Silver Voices, outlined what is at stake with means-testing coming into effect.

“There is no doubt that the impact of this policy will cause extra deaths from cold-related conditions and put more stress on emergency NHS care this winter,” Reed said.

“Because of the refusal to conduct a full impact assessment before railroading this policy through, Labour has cooked up a winter NHS crisis entirely of its own making.”

Caroline Abrahams, the charity director at Age UK, added: “The Government’s modelling suggests some 50,000 to 100,000 older people will fall into poverty each year as a result of their decision to brutally ration winter fuel payment.

“That’s bad enough, we may all feel, but really looking at the effect in this way understates its impact on pensioners on low and modest incomes.

“Age UK’s own impact assessment found that as many as two and a half million older people who can ill-afford to lose the payment will do so because they don’t claim pension credit, aren’t eligible, or have especially high energy needs due to ill health or disability.”

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A Government spokesperson told GB News: “Internal modelling on poverty estimates was produced as part of routine policy advice.

“The modelling is subject to a range of uncertainties and does not take into account the significant work we’re doing to encourage pension credit take-up. Our awareness drive has resulted in a 152 per cent increase in claims since July.

“The modelling also doesn’t reflect that we have put in place extra support for those who need it most, such as our extension of the Household Support Fund. Many pensioners will also benefit from the £150 Warm Home Discount and Cold Weather Payments to help with energy bills and millions of pensioners are also set to benefit from an increase of up to £470 to the state pension in April.

“This Government inherited a £22 billion black hole in our public finances, which means we needed to take tough decisions to balance the books. We continue to urge pensioners to check their eligibility for pension credit to ensure as many people as possible receive the support they’re entitled to.”