Portsmouth councillors welcome winter fuel payment U-turn
Councillors in Portsmouth have reacted to the government’s U-turn on the Winter Fuel Payment, which will now be available to 75 per cent of pensioners in England and Wales.
The decision reverses controversial cuts announced in July last year, which would have restricted the payment - ranging from £100 to £300 - to pensioners earning less than £12,000.
At the time, it was estimated that 25,000 pensioners in Portsmouth would lose out, prompting the City Council to launch its own Older Person’s Energy Payment Scheme in response.
Under the revised rules, pensioners with annual incomes up to £35,000 will now be eligible.
Liberal Democrat councillor and council leader Steve Pitt said he was “delighted” by the government’s change of heart, adding that the council had stepped in last winter to prevent “around 1,300 additional pensioner households” from falling into fuel poverty.
“Hopefully, the government will learn from this and not leave the local government to do what it can to fix their mistakes, as resources are already stretched and pressure on funding grows every day," he added.
The council had previously passed a motion, introduced by Conservative councillor Spencer Gardner, calling for the reversal. It received cross-party support, including from Labour.
Cllr Gardner said the decision proved that “campaigning works”, and said the cuts had forced pensioners into dire choices, such as “turning off their heating or having to eat less.” He described receiving calls from “residents in tears” over the loss of support.
Labour group leader councillor Charlotte Gerada welcomed the move, crediting the Chancellor’s decision to a “positive direction” in the economy. However, she criticised the Lib Dem-run council for not fully distributing last year’s Household Support Fund.
She argued the money was “vital” and accused the administration of withholding funds that should have gone directly to struggling residents.
Cllr Steve Pitt clarified that 100 per cent of the HSF was allocated last year.
Portsmouth Independent Party leader councillor George Madgwick also supported the reversal but called it “too little too late”.
He suggested that, after “14 years of Tory U-turns,” it was “a shame to see Labour make the same mistakes.”