Despite the beautiful sunshine this week, the temperature sadly has begun to drop in the evenings and it is more important than ever that any pensioner eligible for Pension Credit signs up to receive support in time for winter, writes Rutland and Stamford MP Alicia Kearns (Con). The Government’s decision to cut Winter Fuel Payment for around 20,800 pensioners across Rutland and Stamford with so little notice is callous and economically illiterate. It will not save money, and Labour’s own assessment shows 71% of pensioners with a disability will suffer, and 3,800 pensioners could die as a result of taking away this support.
The principle of cutting support for pensioners, whilst giving inflation-busting pay rises to others, offers a chilling insight into Labour’s priorities. I have called on the Government to reverse the cut to Winter Fuel Payments for those living with life-limiting or chronic conditions, who often have higher energy bill costs, and to at least delay the decision by one year for all pensioners to give them a year to plan for these additional cost burdens. I’m asking you to please check your own eligibility, and to help your friends and family members check whether they are eligible to access this important lifeline of support during the colder months.
As part of Rutland’s Great Dementia Conversation, I am pleased to share that the Alzheimer’s Society will also be hosting three Dementia Friends information sessions in Rutland next month. In just on.