Pensioner ‘betrayal’ as Labour refuses to apologise for winter gasoline fee axe | Politics | News | EUROtoday

On Mar 19, 2025

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Labour has refused to apologise for axing the winter gasoline fee from as much as 10 million pensioners. The Conservatives stated it is not going to let the Government overlook about their determination to means check the life line whereas calling on the ruling celebration to ask for forgiveness for its determination.

Shadow work and pensions secretary Helen Whatley stated those that have been incomes as little as £11,500 a 12 months have been having to decide on between “heating and eating”, as she stated hundreds of thousands missed out on the fee. A Tory movement has known as for the Government to publish particulars on what number of pensioners it believes didn’t get the profit, the way it has affected pensioner poverty, and to apologise for the “misery caused to vulnerable pensioners” final winter.

But Labour work and pensions minister Torsten Bell stated the Government needed to make “responsible” fiscal selections.

Ms Whately stated: “Today was yet another betrayal for pensioners who have suffered this winter because of Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves.

“We gave Labour MPs a chance to put party politics aside and protect vulnerable pensioners from another winter of chaos and cruelty. But their consciences failed them again.

“The British public deserve to be told the truth about what the Government have done to pensioners – but Labour refuse to do so”

The Tories stated that Labour’s personal analysis exhibits that 4,000 individuals would die due to the coverage whereas an estimated 100,000 could be thrown into poverty.

A Daily Express campaign has demanded the Government u-turn on its winter gasoline lower.

Charity Age UK stated greater than 80% of pensioners residing round or under the poverty line would lose their funds.

Disabled pensioners have been additionally hit, with 71% of them now not qualifying for the fundsin response to evaluation by the Department for Work and Pensions.

Speaking to MPs, Mr Bell stated: “This Government has and will continue to make responsible choices, responsible in our management of the public finances, but also responsible in ensuring that we can deliver on what matters most.”

He added the state pension was rising below Labour, and the Government was enhancing the NHS. He stated absolute pensioner poverty had risen by 300,000 over the last 14 years of Conservative-led governments.

“Everyone in this house knows the economic and fiscal context.

“The economic stagnation of the past decade, visible in flatlining wages, collapsing public services, and strained public finances. Every economist and every person in the country knows that Britain has lived through an unprecedented economic failure.

“And in a challenging fiscal environment, difficult choices are unavoidable. The Government has set fiscal rules and we will stick to them.”

https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/2029718/winter-fuel-payment-labour-betrayal