Philanthropist launches campaign to help pensioners who will ‘die in the cold alone’ as Labour slammed over ‘terrible’ Winter Fuel Payment cuts

Labour has left pensioners to “die of the cold alone” after slashing their Winter Fuel Payment, a philanthropist – who has launched a campaign to help – has said.

Ali Rehman Malik, chair of the Rehman Malik Foundation, set up the Winter Fuel Support Campaign to help pensioners in areas across the UK.

The campaign aims to provide financial help to 10 struggling pensioners in Blackpool, Coventry, Thanet, Jaywick and Waveney.

The Rehman Malik Foundation also recently partnered with Age UK, donating £2,000 to provide vouchers for elderly residents in Blackpool struggling with their energy bills.

Malik told GB News that he launched the campaign because the public needs to “pick up the slack” since the Government has abandoned pensioners.

He said: “I find it incredibly heartbreaking to see someone who has spent their whole life working a manual job – probably a job they didn’t like – to support their family. Now the time comes when they can’t support themselves and they’re being told ‘sorry we don’t need you anymore, you’re less valuable’.

“The situation cannot be left to get worse. It’s not like the elderly can go out and get jobs – we can’t just wait for them to die alone of the cold. It has to be the public that picks up the slack.”

The philanthropist shared some devastating stories of people suffering in Lancashire due to Labour’s “terrible” policy.

He said: “The policy is terrible. Burnley is one of most destitute areas, people are already below the poverty line struggling to make ends meet. When this came up with no warning it left them with nowhere to go.

“We heard stories about old people leaving hospital treatments, going home, and not having money to eat let alone heat their homes. People have lost 8 stone over the last two years. These are the people being affected. It’s such a huge burden that falls on these people.

“There was one old guy who had a broken washer – all his clothes were dirty, he had nothing to eat and he was freezing to death in Lancashire.”

Malik also said the strain on the NHS will now be worse after the slashing of the Winter Fuel Payments, as elderly patients will not be able to recover following hospital treatments.

“Elderly patients will be coming back into hospital because they get worse after not being able to turn their heating on,” he said.

Malik said he hopes to expand the campaign by partnering with other charities and donating more essentials.

“We have so many people in need that we want to expand all over the country. We will be donating more food vouchers and electric blankets to the elderly.”

A recent study by Age UK revealed that four in nine pensioners are worried about being unable to heat their homes this winter.

It also found that two-thirds of those over the age of 66 with long-term health conditions are among those cutting back on heating.

Similar percentages of people are skipping meals in order to be able to heat their homes.