A cut to winter fuel payments for 10 million pensioners will go ahead after Sir Keir Starmer saw off an attempt by opposition MPs to scrap the policy. MPs voted by 348 to 228 against a Tory motion to reverse the cut.
But many feel that Labour’s aggressive approach will leave the country’s poorest retirees worse off.
In an exclusive poll conducted by The Telegraph, 91pc of more than 290,000 voters oppose Labour’s plan to scrap winter fuel payments for 10 million pensioners.
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Readers were also angered by the revelation that Labour could means-test state pensions. Many Telegraph readers have expressed their frustration at being top of the Chancellor’s hit list.
Telegraph reader, Julie Wilson, feels vexed by the party’s agenda for retirees. Ms Wilson is part of a generation that “scrimped” and “saved” wherever necessary so as to not be a burden on the state.
Now, after working her whole life, she is at risk of being rejected by a system she has supported for decades.
She said: “As pensioners who have worked all their lives, paying into the system that supported previous generations of pensioners, we feel particularly aggrieved at this policy.
“Last winter, we only put our heating on five times for a few hours when it was very cold as we were afraid of the extra cost due to price rises.”
Now she, like millions of pensioners, is coming to terms with an even icier reality.
Catherine Fitchet shared this sentiment, saying: “I absolutely disagree with the blanket removal of this benefit, which is one of the very few benefits that those who have worked all their lives have been entitled to.”
For Jane Davies, making ends meet is a struggle. But, according to Rachel Reeves, Ms Davies falls into a class of “wealthy” pensioners who will no longer qualify for fuel assistance this winter.
She said: “My husband and I have an income that is a few pounds above eligibility for pension credit and we will struggle to heat our downsized home.”
Having worked since the age of 15, Davies joins many others in being dismayed by the change in policy.
This is the bleak reality for millions of retirees who suddenly fail to meet the assistance criteria.
Mark Thomas is coming to grips with this reality. He wrote in a comment on a Telegraph article: “It’s ridiculous, my earnings are just over £13,000 and my winter fuel allowance has been removed as I am now classed as a rich pensioner. I don’t really feel rich, I must say.”
For reader Martyn Parfect, Labour’s decision feels personal. He contends: “My income is just a few hundred pounds above the limit to claim pension credit. Why does Labour hate me so much after I worked for 48 years?”
Lee Ratcliff and his wife have worked all their lives. They went without and saved for retirement to safeguard their futures. But now, just two months into a Labour government, they feel like “public enemy number one”.
He said: “We bought our own small home, then moved up the property ladder. We had mortgages and the interest rates were scary at times. The heating allowance helped, especially with the high energy prices now. And then came a Labour government. The party of the people, why did we bother?”
Reader Michael Buckley echoed this state of frustration. Mr Buckley retired in 2023 after 42 years of work. He did all of the right things with his savings, but now he’s faced with uncertainty as Labour moves the finish line for pensioners.
He said: “Like many others, it is impossible for me to plan ahead because of Labour’s tax plans.”
In a similar vein, Rosemary Led said a Labour decision to means-test the state pension would be “positively cruel.” She continued: “To introduce it suddenly to existing and imminent pensioners would cause havoc. Many so-called wealthy pensioners would have to reorganise their whole life.”
An anonymous reader, aged 70, added: “Considering we paid into the system for many years, a decent pension and winter fuel allowance is the least the Government can do.”
Amid the chorus waging a verbal war against Labour, a few voices support the Government’s decision.
Hans Strand said: “Frankly it’s about time. Handing a blanket £300 winter payment to over-65-year-olds residing in properties with a worth frequently measured in millions was a ludicrous waste of taxpayers’ money.”
Reader Tom Moore recalled how his father was one of the pensioners who received the allowance, but did not need it.
Of Rachel Reeves’s decision, he said: “Taken in complete isolation this seems to make sense. My old dad got it and didn’t need it. I believe that rather than it being universal, winter fuel allowance might be applied for. Otherwise, it looks like a simple grab for the low-hanging fruit.”
