Sky News have shared a chart from a charity showing calls about pensions since the election (Image: Independent Age)
Heartbreakingly pensioners are seeking more and more advice as Chancellor Rachel Reeves axed winter fuel payments for millions and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer warned of a painful Autumn Budget on October 30.
In the chart above a huge spike in calls can clearly be seen for the months of July and August with the numbers phoning for advice far higher than the same time last year.
In data shared with Sky News, charity Independent Age revealed they are seeing more and more pensioners coming to them worried about “drastic” government cutbacks.
Independent Age chief executive Joanna Elson CBE told the news channel: “This data from our helpline clearly shows that many people in later life are worried about the UK government’s decision to limit the winter fuel payment to those that receive pension credit.
New figures show pensioners are potentially worse off under Labour (Image: Getty )
“The people we speak to are frightened about losing a vital lifeline this winter, many are struggling on a low income and will be forced to make drastic cutbacks.
“Others tell us it is the first time they have reached out for support, as the winter ahead feels very bleak.”
From this winter, only people on pension credit or certain other benefits will receive winter fuel payments, worth up to £300, while about 10 million others are set to be stripped of the allowance.
Labour has claimed the move is necessary to help fill a “£22 billion black hole” in the public finances inherited from the Conservative government.
Pensioners have been hit with winter fuel cuts thanks to Labour (Image: Getty )
Kevin McGrath, 81, a former social worker and Catholic monk, from Corby, Northants, told Sky News he was “deeply concerned about the winter” and that taking the winter fuel payments from pensioners was “evil”.
He added: “Of all the wealth in Britain, they target the ones who have very little in life.”
“I fully understand that the government has difficult decisions to make, but why are they starting at the bottom, why don’t they start at the top. It’s evil. It’s a crime.”
A government spokesperson told Sky News it is “committed to supporting pensioners”, adding over 12 million people will see their state pension rise by £1,700 this parliament because of the triple lock.
They said: “Given the dire state of the public finances we have inherited, it’s right we target support to those who need it most.
“We urge anyone who thinks they may be entitled to pension credit to check their eligibility and have already seen a 115 percent increase in claims following the launch of our awareness campaign.”
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I met with pensioners protesting winter fuel cuts – why Rachel Reeves should be worried
Many pensioners are upset with the proposed winter fuel cuts (Image: Getty)
Torrential rain failed to dampen the spirits of the winter fuel protesters who gathered outside the Labour conference.
Brandishing banners as well as brollies, they called on the government to rethink its cruel cuts that will leave 10 million pensioners short of hundreds of pounds this winter.
Why should older people pay for a crisis they did not create, they asked.
But inside the conference hall, the pleas fell on deaf ears as a beaming Rachel Reeves made a virtue of taking “tough decisions.”
Restricting payments to people who receive pension credit means the allowance is “only targeted to those most in need”.
Ms Reeves admitted it would not be a popular move but insisted she would “not duck” decisions for political expediency or personal advantage.
The tough talk is aimed at showing this is an iron Chancellor who will not be blown off course by a public backlash, even if – especially if – that includes the trade unions.
Clashing with the unions is often a good way for a Labour government to reassure the public that it is not too radical.
But this time around, the unions, the charities, political opponents from left to right and, crucially, voters are overwhelmingly united in their opposition to the cuts.
While the Chancellor spoke of her delight at being the first woman to hold the role and how pleased she was at the scale of the Labour landslide, pensioners stood outside in the rain to tell of their worries about the cold winter ahead.
The scale of the continuing anger should worry the government.
Ms Reeves has four weeks to listen to the public and find a solution in time for the budget or face the consequences for years to come.
