Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr MP explains his Winter Fuel vote

A new MP has pointed to a ‘lamentable financial inheritance’ in part to why he has backed UK Government plans to scrap winter fuel payments to most pensioners.

Steve Witherden, the Labour MP for Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr which partially covers the Wrexham area, has published a statement explaining his vote on the issue. Later, Wrexham’s MP Andrew Ranger MP has also published a statement – read it here.

A Winter Fuel Payment opposition day vote was held with both Wrexham’s Andrew Ranger MP and Steve Witherden MP voting ‘against’ a move to block UK Government plans to cut winter fuel payments for most pensioners. Thus the new Labour Government progressed the measure by majority of 120.

Some analysis has said that the move will reduce the number of such fuel payments 11.4 million to 1.5 million people this winter, normally paid in November and December. The move has £1.4 billion attributed to it, reducing the overall welfare bill to the UK as the UK Government looks to fix a ‘£22bn black hole’ that Labour say they discovered since taking power from the Conservatives.

Steve Witherden MP has since published a statement detailing the reasoning behind his vote:

I know and understand the strength of feeling from constituents on this issue. I also know that they are not naïve to the fact that the government has inherited an untenable financial situation from 14 years of Conservative mismanagement. Independent civil servants have publicly confirmed that the Conservatives had not budgeted for continuing the allowance this coming winter.

While difficult decisions do need to be made, constituents have rightly argued that there are many viable alternatives open to the government – including expanding Pension Credit, phasing implementation, and creating a pensioner poverty taskforce.

I wrote to the chancellor yesterday raising these alternatives, as well as signing a motion expressing concern that the measure was introduced without an impact assessment, nor with enough time to promote the take-up of Pension Credit.

I have made clear that the implementation of this measure should be delayed. Given our lamentable financial inheritance, however, the government is right to target winter fuel payments to those who need it, rather than spending taxpayer money on those who accept that they themselves do not.

Pensioner poverty is a scourge. I will be working with colleagues to put in place a comprehensive fuel poverty strategy to address health inequalities among older people and ensure that those who most need support will continue to receive it.