This autumn after a vote by the Full Council in favour of a motion to petition for the support of our local MP to challenge the government’s decision to restrict Winter Fuel Payments for pensioners, SMPC chair wrote to Kemi Badenoch to raise the matter. This week the MP for North West Essex has replied with an invitation to meet the parish council to discuss the issue further.
Letter from Kemi Badenoch
Member of Parliament for North West Essex
Thank you for sharing these concerns [on winter fuel payments] from Stansted Mountfitchet Parish Council. It will come as no surprise that I have been contacted by many many residents from across the constituency who share the same concerns. I appreciate that winter can be an especially difficult time for pensioners.
The last Government’s record £5 billion in support paid towards energy costs last winter, one of the largest support packages in Europe. During the last election the Labour party said that winter fuel payments would continue and that there were no plans to change eligibility for these benefits.
As you note in your correspondence, this was not the case. Cutting the winter fuel payment this winter, with virtually no notice and no compensatory measures to protect poor and vulnerable pensioners, is the wrong decision.
I understand that Age UK believes as many as 2 million pensioners will struggle to pay their energy bills as a result of these cuts.
I will press the Government to ensure those who are most at risk from fuel poverty receive reasonable winter fuel payments, allowing families to keep costs down and more money in their pockets.
I look forward to finding a time to discuss this matter and with the parish council, and other councils in the constituency to discuss this and other issues.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
Letter from SMPC
by Chair Maureen Caton
I am writing on behalf of Stansted Mountfitchet Parish Council to draw your attention to the pressing issue of pensioner poverty across Stansted, particularly in light of the recent changes to Winter Fuel Payments.
The government has announced Winter Fuel Payments will now only be available to pensioners receiving Pension Credit or other means-tested benefits. Those pensioners who are eligible for Pension Credit but have not yet claimed it stand to lose the most. Claiming Pension Credit could not only help them retain the Winter Fuel Payment but also increase their overall income – in some cases, very significantly, particularly for pensioners who are ill or disabled.
Estimates suggest that over 800,000 eligible pensioner households across the UK are not claiming Pension Credit, despite being entitled to it. This is often due to stigma, lack of awareness, or cultural and language barriers. According to data from Policy in Practice, there are 661 pensioner households in Uttlesford alone that are missing out on a combined total of £1,534,400 in unclaimed benefits. Stansted undoubtedly has its share of pensioners affected by this issue.
We kindly ask for your support in exploring further ways we can work together to help our older residents.
Raising awareness and encouraging more pensioners to claim the benefits they are entitled to will be essential in ensuring that vulnerable pensioners are not left without the financial support they need to stay warm and healthy this winter. We would welcome the opportunity to discuss how we can collaborate to address this critical issue.
Maureen Caton
Chair, Stansted Mountfitchet Parish Council