Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey has said his party will attempt to block the Government’s proposed move to end the winter fuel allowance to some pensioners, describing the move as the new administration’s “first big mistake”.
Sir Ed said Labour MPs and others across the House will be “genuinely worried” about the move after correspondence with constituents.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the Government is withdrawing winter fuel payments from millions of pensioner households not in receipt of benefits.
Ms Reeves defended that decision, which she blamed on a £22 billion black hole in the public finances inherited from the Conservatives, stating: “it’s not a decision I wanted to make.”
The policy is expected to reduce the number of pensioners in receipt of the up-to-£300 payment by 10 million, from 11.4 million to 1.5 million, saving some £1.4 billion this financial year.
The Liberal Democrat leader said the move would “hit millions” so a vote in Parliament is needed.
He told the BBC: “We haven’t had a vote. We haven’t had a proper debate. So what all the 72 Liberal Democrat MPs have done, we’re signing what’s called a prayer, which is a parliamentary process, to trigger a debate so we can represent people who have elected us.
“Liberal Democrats said, in the election, we’d fight for a fair deal for people, for our communities and I think the least the Parliament needs to do is have a debate, have a vote and hopefully reject this proposal.
“It looks like the Government’s first big mistake, and I think pensioners will be going into this winter, really worried if Parliament doesn’t stop the Government from doing this.”
Sir Ed said the party would be attempting to call for a vote on the measure in the two weeks after the Commons returns before going on recess again for party conference season.
The Lib Dem leader said he hoped Tory MPs would also “back the vote”.
He said: “I think there’ll be some Labour MPs and MPs probably across all parties. I think people are genuinely worried. They’ll be talking to people in their constituencies. They’ll have heard the concerns of a number of the groups who represent pensioners.”
He added: “I hope MPs from all parties will get behind this sort of idea. We do need to fight for pensioners.
“Now we all know there’s a budget problem. Let’s be frank about that, the Government have got a legacy from the Conservatives which is really, really tough, but I don’t think the way to balance the books is to take away this crucial support for millions of pensioners, just as we’re going into winter when fuel bills are going up.”
As well as the expected rise in fuel costs coming into the winter months, the average household energy bill is to increase by £149 from October after Ofgem said it was increasing its price cap.
It means the price cap will increase by 10% from the current £1,568 for a typical household in England, Scotland and Wales to £1,717.
Sir Ed said there were “other choices” available to balance the books saying his party would support getting the “very wealthiest in our country to pay more” to fund investment in public services.
He said: “I hope we can persuade, by the force of our argument, the Government to think again on this. It’s not too late.”
He added: “Let’s have that debate. Let’s have that vote. I’m sure there are Labour MPs who feel very uncomfortable, who will agree with the Liberal Democrats that this is the Government’s first big mistake.
“So, yeah, give the Chancellor the chance to think again, I’m sure she’s big enough to do that.”
Charity Age UK said it “strongly” opposes means-testing the payment because it means “as many as two million pensioners who badly need the money to stay warm this winter will not receive it and will be in serious trouble as a result”.
Stuart Andrew MP, Opposition chief whip, said: “The Conservatives have already submitted a Motion to challenge the Government to hold a debate on Winter Fuel Payments. The Liberal Democrats should back those plans.”
