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Conservative group delivers details of petition to stop Winter Fuel Payment cuts
30/10/2024
Councillor Eddie Reeves says Labour must do the right thing and protect pensioners on the lowest incomes
Local Conservative Councillors and their colleagues have given Banbury’s Labour MP, Sean Woodcock, details of a petition signed by 240,000 people across the country calling on the Labour government to back down on pushing through removing Winter Fuel Payments for all pensioners, apart from those on qualifying benefits.
The group estimates 17,638 pensioners in Banbury will lose up to £300 in Winter Fuel Payments after 347 Labour MPs, including Mr Woodcock, voted to scrap the scheme last month.
A letter with details of the petition was delivered to the Labour Group at Cherwell District Council’s Bodicote House HQ last night, ahead of today’s Budget.
Councillor Eddie Reeves was amongst those handing over the letter. He said: “This petition shows how many people agree with the Conservatives that scrapping Winter Fuel Payments in this way is profoundly wrong.
“Labour must do the right thing and protect pensioners on the lowest incomes. Doing so would end the anxiety facing pensioners whose fixed incomes cannot rise to meet the falling support available to them under the previous Conservative government.
“Whatever the merits of Labour’s attempt to reduce welfare payments, its means of doing so in this instance is divisive and discriminatory. It cannot be right to withdraw £300 from a pensioner earning as little as £13,000 a year or £1,074 per month.
“Local Conservatives are calling on Labour in Banbury – and across Oxfordshire – to protect the incomes of pensioners in the greatest need.”
Should the government stick to their plans Councillor Reeves hopes local councillors will agree to help those in the most acute need.
He said: “In the absence of a government u-turn, we are calling for a grown-up, cross-party approach from District and County Councillors to help those in the most acute need by way of targeted support through the Council Tax and local benefits system to help them through the Winter.
“A majority of Cherwell District Councillors have made it clear that they are against Labour’s plan to take money away from pensioners on low incomes. Sadly, Oxfordshire County Councillors were denied the opportunity of a vote on this important subject at our meeting on 10 September. I have, however, tabled another motion in the sincere hope that we can have this debate locally at our next Full Council meeting on 5 November.”
But MP Sean Woodcock has hit back. In a written response to Councillor Reeves he said he was “incredulous” about what Councillor Reeves letter had left out.
Mr Woodcock wrote: “There is no apology for your government’s failure to increase the uptake of Pension Credit during their 14 years in office so that when Labour came into office 1/3 of those eligible were not actually getting it.
“There is no apology for your government’s failure to secure domestic energy sources such as nuclear or renewables leaving us at the mercy of tyrants like Putin and domestic energy consumers picking up the bill.
“Moreso, I am angry at your failure to acknowledge and apologise for the fact that after 14 years in office your party left a £22 billion deficit in-year in day-to-day spending, covered it up and then ran away from it by calling a general election.”
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam