A CABINET Minister faced the wrath of voters over Winter Fuel cuts last night – including why MPs can still claim on heating bills while pensioners are losing out.
Commons Leader Lucy Powell was forced to defend Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ decision to axe the £200-£300 payments for 10million OAPs.
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On BBC Question Time one audience member challenged the Labour frontbencher to remove MPs’ heating allowance and use the cash to help struggling pensioners.
To crowd applause she vented: “How do you justify withdrawing the payment from pensioners?”
Most MPs can expense heating and utility bills at a single property – either their constituency home or London residence – to stop them forking out for two addresses.
The only exception is MPs who represent a seat in the capital, or have the run of a grace-and-favour property like Downing Street.
Ms Powell replied: “Obviously we pay heating in our homes like everybody else, and we’ve seen those costs going up and up and up in recent years with inflation and energy costs going up.
“There’s no denying this is a very difficult thing to do and it will be difficult for people. It’s not something we came into government wanting to do at all.”
But Tory MP Graham Stuart hit back: “It’s taking £300 away from the very poorest pensioners.
“The very poorest pensioners are not the pensioners on pension credit, very low income though they’ve got, it’s the people that are eligible for it – but that for one reason or another, don’t claim.”
Means-testing Winter Fuel Payments is expected to save around £1.5billion a year according to the Treasury.
Sir Keir Starmer has refused to u-turn despite a Labour rebellion, and warned of more “tough decisions” at next month’s Budget.
Campaigners have warned that pensioners earning just above the means-tested cap will seriously struggle this winter when their cold-weather cash is axed.
Ms Reeves is also standing firm despite a reported £10billion windfall from the Bank of England selling loss-making bonds less quickly.