Ministers failed to carry out a specific impact assessment on the scrapping of the winter fuel payment from millions of pensioners, Sir Keir Starmer has admitted.
His deputy spokesperson also said the only assessment made before the policy announcement was a standard legal one of potential equalities impacts.
Pensioners are furious with Labour over plans to scrap the winter fuel payment (Image: Getty)
This means the potential effect on illness and death rates among older people has not formally been assessed.
Speaking to reporters while travelling to Washington tonight, Sir Keir said: “There isn’t a report on my desk. You don’t have to do one for exercises like this, but I can feel you think I have a report on my desk, I don’t.”
When pressed on whether he was comfortable not having one, he did not answer.
Sir Keir Starmer had been accused of “hiding” the impact of the Government’s winter fuel payment cuts in a clash with former Prime Minister Rishi SUnak at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday.
The Prime Minister and his ministers had been criticised for not publishing the document, which will reduce the number of pensioners in receipt of the up to £300 payment by 10 million, from 11.4 million to 1.5 million.
Labour has argued the move to save more than £1 billion this year is required to help respond to a “£22 billion black hole” in the public finances left by the previous Tory administration.
Speaking at PMQs, Mr Sunak urged Sir Keir to publish the impact assessment for means-tested winter fuel payments.
He said: “We know why he’s hiding the impact assessment. The Labour Party’s own previous analysis claimed that this policy could cause 3,850 deaths.
“So, are the numbers in his impact assessment higher or lower than that?”
Sir Keir replied: “We’re taking this decision to stabilise the economy. That means we can commit to the triple lock.
“By committing to the triple lock we can make sure that payments of state pension are higher and therefore there’s more money in the pockets of pensioners, not withstanding the tough action we need to take.
“But he goes around pretending that everything is fine. That’s the argument he tried in the election and that’s why he’s sitting there and we are sitting here.”
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Labour plots £500 tax hike for millions of pensioners with next cruel attack on elderly
A Tory MP has accused Labour of being dishonest with Britons over their plans for pensioners this winter following the “disgraceful” scrapping of winter fuel payments.
Sir Keir Starmer refused to rule out scrapping pensioners’ council tax discounts or scrapping concessionary travel fares for pensioners at Prime Minister’s Questions yesterday when probed by Louie French MP.
In a TV interview today, the Tory backbencher said: “Yet again, the Prime Minister refused to answer the question staright and openly with the British public.”
Estimates suggested around 8.4 million people benefit from a reduction in their council tax – half of whom are pensioners.
Keir Starmer refused to rule out scrapping pensioners’ council tax discounts (Image: Getty/Parliament)
Mr French added: “Those are people who are perhaps divorced, widowed or just alone. This is a hit that could easily hit many pensioners on top of this disgraceful winter fuel payment decision. It’s up to £500 that they would lose.
“This is a huge amount of money for most people across the country.
“Labour are not being honest with the British public about what they’re planning to do this winter.”
Sir Keir was also accused of “hiding” the impact of the Government’s winter fuel payment cuts amid fears the policy will cause an increase in pensioner deaths.
Former prime minister Rishi Sunak highlighted Labour research from 2017 which claimed Conservative plans to scrap the winter fuel payment for better-off pensioners could lead to almost 4,000 additional deaths over winter.
Sir Keir also used Prime Minister’s Questions to urge Mr Sunak to “apologise for the £22 billion black hole” that Labour argues was left by the previous Tory administration.
People in England and Wales not in receipt of Pension Credit or other means-tested benefits will lose out under the Government’s changes to winter fuel payments.
It is expected to reduce the number of pensioners in receipt of the up to £300 payment by 10 million, from 11.4 million to 1.5 million, saving more than £1 billion this year.
The Prime Minister said increases in pensions “will outstrip any loss of payment” as a result of the triple lock, which guarantees the state pension will rise by inflation, average wage growth or 2.5%.
The full state pension is set to rise by £460 from next April, according to official wage figures released this week.
Sir Keir said mitigation measures include trying to increase uptake of Pension Credit, adding: “Because of the tough decisions that we’re making to stabilise the economy, we can make sure that the triple lock shows that increases in pensions will outstrip any loss of payment.
“But before he complains about us clearing up his mess, perhaps he’d like to apologise for the £22 billion black hole.”
Downing Street declined to comment on whether the Government would publish any assessment of the impact of restricting winter fuel payments.
When Mr Fench called on the Prime Minister to “rule out scrapping concessionary travel fares” for pensioners.
Sir Keir replied: “I’m not going to pre-empt the Budget.”
