Council Urged To Condemn Winter Fuel Payment Cut

Harborough District Council is being urged to condemn the government’s decision to scrap winter fuel payments for most pensioners.

A motion will be considered by the Full Council at a meeting next week, which also calls on the authority to back a campaign launched by charity Age UK, demanding a re-think on the controversial decision.

It means just over 1,200 people across the district will continue to receive support to help pay energy bills during the colder months.

The payments were previously made to over 20,000 people above state pension age across Harborough, but now only go to  those on benefits or Pension Credit.

The motion has been put forward by Cllr Jon Bateman, who leads the opposition Conservative group.

He told HFM many elderly people locally will be badly hit:

The motion also calls on the Leader of this Council to write to both the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, to ask for funding for a local advertising and outreach campaign to raise awareness about Pension Credit and other benefits, targeting pensioners who may be eligible but are not currently claiming.

The government says ‘tough decisions’ need to be made as part of a series of measures to address a £22 billion “black hole” in public finances.