Osborne’s stealth attack on Winter Fuel Payments

Thousands of pensioners are going to be worse off thanks to cuts Chancellor George Osborne failed to mention in the budget. Older people will receive up to £100 less from the government towards their winter energy bills which Neath MP Peter Hain has called a “cruel blow to the elderly.”

Winter Fuel payments for over 60s are set to drop by £50 from £250 to £200 while those over 80 are expected to lose £100 from £400 to £300. Between 2009 and 2010 there were 12,830 households in Neath in receipt of Winter Fuel Allowance.

Mr Hain said, “This is devastating news for elderly people who rely on these payments to help with the high cost of heating their homes over the winter. The situation is going to be made worse as the cost of heating is continuing to rise but the Chancellor has made no provision for this in the Budget instead he has left the elderly to fend for themselves.

“Over two thousand five hundred people in Neath are in receipt of the higher rate of Winter Fuel Allowance who will now be left to face the rising cost of warming their homes. This is a disgraceful way to treat elderly people.

“The Lib-Dems broke their promise to students over tuition fees and the Tories broke their promise to hard working families over child benefits and now the Tories have broken their promise to pensioners over the Winter Fuel Allowance.”