Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer faced intense criticism and shouts of “shame” from Conservative MPs in the House of Commons as he defended the government’s decision to cut winter fuel payments for millions of pensioners.
During Prime Minister’s Questions, Conservative Party leader Rishi Sunak challenged Sir Keir on the rationale behind increasing pay for train drivers who earn £65,000 annually, while simultaneously removing winter fuel payments from pensioners subsisting on just £13,000 a year.
Sir Keir asserted that no prime minister relishes making such difficult decisions but emphasised the necessity of these measures to “stabilise our economy.” The proposed policy changes are expected to affect those not receiving pension credit or other means-tested benefits, significantly reducing the recipient pool of the up to £300 winter fuel payment from 11.4 million to 1.5 million pensioners. This move is projected to save approximately £1.4 billion this year.
Mr. Sunak, during the heated exchange, accused the Prime Minister of favouring certain unionised workers with inflation-busting pay rises at the expense of the country’s vulnerable pensioners. He questioned, “Why did he choose train drivers over Britain’s vulnerable pensioners?”
In response, Sir Keir highlighted the financial mismanagement by the previous Conservative government, revealing a £22 billion shortfall discovered upon reviewing the nation’s finances. He stressed the government’s ongoing efforts to streamline benefits such as housing benefit and pension credit to protect the most vulnerable, including 800,000 pensioners currently not claiming pension credit which the government aims to rectify.
Additionally, Sir Keir pointed to the government’s commitment to the triple lock on pensions, ensuring that the state pension will continue to rise by the highest of inflation, average wage growth, or 2.5%, defending the policy adjustments as necessary sacrifices to repair and stabilise the economy.
The debate grew more intense as Mr. Sunak implored the Prime Minister to “start taking responsibility for his own decisions,” criticising the prioritisation of significant pay raises for high-income train drivers over crucial support for low-income pensioners.
Sir Keir reiterated Labour’s “massive mandate to change the country” and justified the government’s decisions as essential for the broader economic stability, arguing that functional essential services like trains and healthcare are fundamental to economic recovery.
The discussion reached a crescendo as Age UK’s criticism of the winter fuel payment cuts was brought up, with the organisation and opposition highlighting the potential impacts on the poorest pensioners.
The Prime Minister concluded by reaffirming the difficult nature of these decisions but maintained they were essential to ensure future economic growth and stability, underscoring ongoing efforts to enhance pension credit uptake among the elderly.
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