Nottinghamshire County Councillors to call for end to ‘cruel’ winter fuel payment cut

The loss of winter fuel payments for 90% of older Nottinghamshire residents must be reversed, councillors will argue next week.

The new Labour government’s cut means around 178,000 elderly people in the county will no longer get the support of between £100 and £300.

Only those receiving pension credit or other means-tested benefits will be eligible this winter – around 22,000 people.

All over-65s previously received the payment.

The Nottinghamshire County Independent Group says the “cruel cut” will leave some people torn between heating and eating, and this will put extra burden on the county council’s care services.

A motion calling for the cut to be reversed will be proposed by Steve Carr at the full council meeting on Thursday, September 26.

“Many pensioners who relied on this payment, those on low to middle incomes, will now lose this vital payment,” he said.

“Next month, the Energy Price Cap will rise by ten per cent and this cut will leave many thousands of Nottinghamshire pensioners, especially those just over the threshold, facing the stark choice of choosing to heat their homes or eat.

“It is crucial that Nottinghamshire County Council uses its collective voice to oppose this cruel cut.”

Unusually the motion is likely to unite Independent and Conservative County Councillors members at the Tory-led authority.

Council Leader Ben Bradley previously said: “I think this is going to cause a huge problem for many pensioners this winter.

“While there’s absolutely a case for saying that the richest don’t need it, that’s not what Labour are doing.

“They’re removing it from 90 per cent of older people, even those with low incomes, and it’s going to be a huge additional strain on services.”

The motion asks the council to write to all Nottinghamshire MPs to express their concern, and for all group leaders to write to Chancellor Rachel Reeves.

The Chancellor previously said the cut was necessary to fix a £22bn “black hole” in public finances.

“This is not a decision I wanted to make, nor is it one that I expected to make,” she said.

“But it is a necessary and urgent decision I must make – It is the responsible thing to do to fix the foundations of our economy and bring back economic stability.”