The Tories have accused Labour of performing a U-turn after it was confirmed MPs will vote on the scrapping of winter fuel payments next Tuesday.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (Image: GETTY)
The Government has been resisting demands for a debate on the controversial decision to restrict the allowance to only older people receiving pension credit.
House of Commons Leader Lucy Powell announced a motion relating to the changes would be debated on September 10, prompting cheers from opposition MPs.
Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride said: “We welcome that the Labour Government have U-turned and there will now be a vote on the Conservative motion to scrap the cruel cut to winter fuel payments.
“Labour thinks it is right to give their union paymasters an inflation-busting pay rise over protecting vulnerable pensioners, just as bills are going up. This tells you everything you need to know about the Government’s values.
“Labour still wants to stop this vital support for the most vulnerable pensioners, but we would urge all MPs to do the right thing and back this Conservative motion to stop this punishing cut.”
Shadow Commons Leader Chris Philp welcomed a vote on proposals to strip winter fuel payments from about 10million pensioners.
He told the Commons he had been contacted by constituents “desperate with worry” at the proposed changes.
He said a pensioner had written to him saying: “The allowance meant I could turn the heating on. Now I fear hypothermia during the coming winter months.”
Ms Powell repeated Labour’s claim that the Tories left a £22billion black hole in the public finances.
She said: “The legacy they have left us means we have had to make some really difficult decisions, decisions we did not want to make, like means-testing the winter fuel payment. But we are doing all we can to support pensioners this winter.
“We have scheduled a vote on the winter fuel payment next week, because we are not afraid to have the debate on how we have got to where we have got to.”
The new Government has faced a major backlash since Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in July that winter fuel payments would be means-tested.
The move is expected to reduce the number of pensioners in receipt of the up to £300 payment by 10million, from 11.4million to 1.5million, saving around £1.4billion this year.
