Rushcliffe Borough Council has passed a motion calling on the Government to review its decision on winter fuel allowance payments and protect tens of thousands of Rushcliffe residents from fuel poverty this winter.
At a Full Council meeting on Thursday (September 26) Leader of the Council Cllr Neil Clarke led an agenda item highlighting the impact of the decision made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer earlier this month.
He cited residents should now continue to check if they are eligible for pension credit and Nottinghamshire County Council’s Household Support Fund to ensure as many vulnerable pensioners receive financial relief as possible.
More advice and how to check can be found at www.rushcliffe.gov.uk/costofliving
Cllr Clarke said: “This Council is extremely disappointed that the Government has voted to restrict vital Winter Fuel Payments to only pensioners in receipt of means-tested benefits such as Pension Credit.
“Age UK estimates that this will mean two million pensioners nationwide who depend on this fund to stay warm this coming winter will not receive it.
“There are nearly 30,000 pensioners in Rushcliffe. Many will sit just above the cut-off for Pension Credit.
“These vulnerable residents will be impacted by this sudden and deeply unfair change in policy during the coldest months of the year. It will place additional strain on those that need it most and many will face the cruel dilemma of whether to eat or heat.
“We urge the Chancellor of the Exchequer to review the decision to means-test the Winter Fuel Payment and to ensure that compensatory payments are included in the October Budget to ensure that vulnerable pensioners, particularly those who do not claim Pension Credit, are protected from fuel poverty this winter.
“We also urge our local Rushcliffe MP to lobby the Chancellor to introduce measures to help those pensioners in need of additional support this winter, especially those that fall just outside the pension credit threshold.
“We will continue the existing Council-led local awareness campaign and work with local partners and charities to alert those pensioners in Rushcliffe potentially eligible for Pension Credit but who currently do not access it to apply for their entitlement.
“Nottinghamshire County Council’s Household Support Fund is also available to provide some financial relief to the Borough’s most vulnerable pensioners.”
The motion follows an open letter from Cllr Clarke to the Member of Parliament for Rushcliffe James Naish on September 9 calling for the withdrawal of the allowance cuts before the House of Commons vote took place.
It highlighted the significant number of Rushcliffe residents outside the Pensions Credit threshold now affected by the changes.
