At Wednesday night’s full council meeting of East Herts District Council, Conservative, Green, and Liberal Democrat councillors united in their opposition to the Labour Government’s changes to the Winter Fuel Payment.
The motion, brought forward by the Conservative group, called for the government to reconsider its decision to restrict the payment to only those on Pension Credit or other means-tested benefits. Despite widespread cross-party support, Labour councillors shockingly voted against the motion, signalling their backing for a policy that risks leaving thousands of elderly residents in fuel poverty.
Cllr Aubrey Holt, who proposed the motion, expressed his concern over the national policy and his gratitude for the broad local support: "This decision by the Labour Government will hurt millions of pensioners across the country, and 27,486 in East Hertfordshire alone could lose out on the Winter Fuel Payment this year. We believe it’s vital to stand up for our elderly residents, and we were pleased to see Green and Liberal Democrat councillors putting aside party politics and supporting our motion. It’s disappointing that Labour councillors in East Herts could not do the same, opting instead to support the poor choice made by their party in Westminster."
Cllr Angus Parsad-Wyatt, who seconded the motion, also criticised the Labour group’s stance: "I was shocked to hear one of the Labour councillors mutter that this was ‘about rich pensioners’. This rushed, short-sighted, and frankly cruel move by the Labour Government could leave pensioners on as little as £13,000 a year without vital support this winter. I would hardly call them rich. It is deeply disappointing that Labour councillors in East Herts couldn’t look past party politics to support some of the most vulnerable people in our communities."
The adoption of this motion now requires the Leader of the Council to write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, urging a full review of the eligibility criteria for the Winter Fuel Payment. The motion also calls for increased funding for home insulation schemes and for local MPs to lobby the government to reverse this decision.
Furthermore, the council will now launch a local outreach campaign to raise awareness of Pension Credit and other benefits that could provide alternative support for those most at risk of fuel poverty.
This comes after a similar motion was passed at Hertfordshire County Council on Tuesday, further highlighting the growing opposition to the Labour Government’s changes across the region, and indeed beyond. New polling this week by JL Partners found that 71% of Brits want to see the Chancellor reverse the cut and give the winter fuel allowance back to pensioners.
