The honeymoon period for the new Labour Government is officially over.
They have decided we cannot afford to pay the winter fuel payments to everyone over 65, and so will only pay it to those on pension credit. I hesitate to write about this as I am one who will lose that benefit. But we can afford our fuel bills. There will be many who cannot and face another winter of deciding between heating and eating. Potatoes and cauliflower have gone up 20% since last summer. Carrots by 14%. These are not luxuries; these are basic ingredients of healthy eating.
According to Paul Lewis, money saving expert, over 2 million pensioners are poor and many others are hard up but not quite poor enough to get pension credit. There are also nearly 900,000 pensioners who would qualify but don’t claim it. As I get older, I understand that the faff of filling in the forms may just be too much for some people. So, if you know someone in this situation, please help them to make the claim. It’s worth it not just for the extra money but also for the other benefits it unlocks. Call 0800 991234 or check online at entitledto.co.uk
This is especially important now as the energy regulator Ofgem has raised the price cap by 9.5 per cent just before the onset of winter. For the average household this means an increase of about £150, so for most pensioners the winter fuel payment would cover the cost of the increase, but not much more.
Of course, it’s not just pensioners who face this crisis not of their making. This will be deeply worrying news for all those people already struggling to pay their bills.
While the Labour Government has said that establishing GB Energy will reduce bills in the future, it must invest in improving the energy efficiency of homes too. We need a nationwide programme of government-backed, council-delivered home insulation starting immediately to help people keep their bills down for good. Insulating people’s homes means they can stay warm while using less energy, save money and produce fewer harmful carbon emissions.
Cllr Jill Perry