Over 2,744 residents in the Keighley and Ilkley constituency, which covers Keighley, Ilkley, Silsden and the Worth Valley, have signed the petition calling on Labour to reverse their decision to scrap the winter fuel payment, the highest number of signatures in any constituency in England and Wales.
The Keep Winter Fuel petition, launched by the Conservative Party, now has over 240,000 signatures nationwide, and is set to be handed into the government this week.
Local MP Robbie Moore has made a final plea to Chancellor Rachel Reeves and the Labour Government to reverse their decision to scrap the Winter Fuel Payment ahead of Wednesday’s Autumn Statement.
Newly released data from Age UK reveals that 83% of previously eligible pensioners in the Bradford District will lose their Winter Fuel Payment under the Labour Government’s proposed changes.
Last year, 77,165 Bradford residents received the payment, but the number will plummet to just 12,534 under the new plans – leaving 64,631 pensioners without this crucial support.
The planned decision was announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves just weeks after Labour took office. This decision contradicts assurances from Labour’s Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Darren Jones MP, who previously claimed there were “no plans to make changes” to pensioner benefits.
Charity Age UK has raised grave concerns about the impact of means-testing the payment. They state: “Means-testing will cause significant harm for as many as two million older people who are living on low incomes, or who face unavoidably large energy bills due to ill health. These people simply cannot afford to go without the money this winter. At Age UK we are deeply concerned by this policy for a number of reasons.”
Residents can sign the petition at: http://keepwinterfuel.com
Robbie Moore MP said:
“This response across our area clearly shows just how many people agree with us and think scrapping the payments was a cruel decision and completely the wrong thing to do.
I urge the Labour Government to do the right thing, reverse this reckless decision and reinstate the Winter Fuel Payment in this week’s budget. Pensioners across Keighley and Ilkley must be afforded dignity and respect in retirement and a reversal will not only end the worry and anxiety this decision has created, but also potentially save lives.
I voted against this plan to take money away from pensioners and will continue to support vulnerable older people through the winter months as best as I can.”
