Cheshire East urged to fight Labour’s ‘dangerous’ winter fuel policy

Cllr Andrew Kolker said he had been contacted by numerous pensioners since the government announced it was scrapping the winter fuel payment for all except those in receipt of pension credit or similar benefit.

The Dane Valley councillor has now put forward a notice of motion to next week’s meeting of the full council urging all Cheshire East’s political leaders to write to Chancellor Rachel Reeves calling for the winter fuel allowance to be reinstated immediately until an alternative scheme is found to protect the vulnerable.

Cllr Andrew Kolker (Image: Cheshire East Council) Cllr Kolker told the Local Democracy Reporting Service:  “The cutting of the winter fuel allowance will have a real effect upon people’s ability to keep warm this winter.

“It’s a dangerous policy and will have a real impact on people’s lives.”

The motion, which has been seconded by Willaston councillor Allen Gage (Con), says many vulnerable Cheshire East pensioners this year will lose between £200 and £300 that they have relied upon to keep their homes warm and hot food prepared.

It states: “As elected members, we have already received letters of concern from affected, older residents including, for example, a petition from 50 members of the Congleton Widows Group.

“Vulnerable Cheshire East pensioners on limited means, but either not claiming pension credit or with incomes just above the pension credit threshold, will face desperate choices this winter, to heat or eat - decisions that pose a significant threat to health and life.”

Cllr Allen Gage (Image: Cheshire East Council)

The motion calls on the council’s political group leaders to write jointly to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, ‘expressing this council’s deep concerns regarding the impact of this decision on Cheshire East’s most vulnerable residents and asking that the winter fuel allowance is reinstated with immediate effect’.

It adds it should remain in place ‘pending the results of a full impact assessment and the evaluation of an alternative scheme that will protect the most vulnerable and middle-income pensioners at risk during winter months’.

It also calls on the council to bring forward an awareness campaign to encourage those eligible for pension credit to apply for it.

And it calls on the council’s leader and deputy to write to all Cheshire East’s MPs explaining the council’s concerns and to request their support in raising them in Westminster, on behalf of the borough’s most vulnerable pensioners.

The LDRS has been informed Cheshire East will not debate the matter at next week’s meeting of the full council but will refer the motion to both the environment and communities committee and also the adults and health committee.

Those meetings take place on November 14 and 18 respectively.

The meeting of the full council takes place at the SKA Observatory, Jodrell Bank, on Wednesday, October 16, at 11am.