Labour warned of 'national emergency' over winter fuel payments

Fury at the cuts to winter fuel payments threatens to overshadow Sir Keir Starmer's first party conference as Prime Minister.The Labour leadership has been urged to "come to its senses" and prevent a "national emergency" as activists gather in Liverpool.Sharon Graham, the general secretary of the mighty Unite trade union, cranked up the pressure on the PM with a call for the policy to radically curtail eligibility for the fuel payments to be axed.She told the Sunday Express: "It is wrong to pit pensioners against workers by axing the winter fuel payment when paying public wage rises. The winter fuel policy is cruel and should be dumped."Unite, one of the UK's two biggest unions, aims to force a vote on the payments which could be held tomorrow.
A Labour MP said: "The Government needs to come to its senses and ensure there is protection over the winter," adding: "I very much hope Unite is able to have success with its motion, not least because we've got a national emergency before us now. I want to see a remedy put in place to safeguard older people."Caroline Abrahams, of Age UK, also called on Chancellor Rachel Reeves to take action to help pensioners, saying: "It's not too late for the Government to respond to these concerns and we urge the Chancellor to bring forward measures at the Budget in October to soften the impact of the policy on pensioners who are already struggling due to a low income, sickness or disability."Phil Broadhead, chairman of the Conservative Councillors Association, described the scale of concern across the country, saying: "We've rarely experienced an issue which has caused such strength of feeling so rapidly, with many of the most vulnerable pensioners in our communities telling us they are worried about the choice between eating or heating this winter."

Eddie Lynch, Northern Ireland's Commissioner for Older People, condemned the "disgraceful decision" to restrict access to the support, saying: "The UK Government must urgently reconsider this decision and reinstate full support for the winter fuel payment or find alternative schemes to ensure the wellbeing of our older population."

Conservative peer Lord Black of Brentwood put the spotlight on the plight of pet-owning pensioners.

He asked what assessment had been made of "the impact of the increase in the energy price cap and the means-testing of the winter fuel allowance on pet ownership".

Labour's Lord Hunt of Kings Heath said: "The Government has made no assessment on the impact of the energy price cap on pet ownership.

"The Government is committed to supporting households struggling with their energy bills, and we are continuing to deliver the Warm Home Discount which provides a £150 rebate off energy bills to eligible low-income households."