Stuart is "incredibly disappointed" with the decision to remove Winter Fuel Payments from those not in receipt of Pension Credit or another qualifying means-tested benefit. Almost a third of residents in South Shropshire were eligible for the payments, which helped with the cost of energy bills during the colder months - with around 24,824 benefitting in 2022-23.
In South Shropshire, it will now only be paid to around 2,000 pensioners, who have an active claim for Pension Credit. The Department for Work and Pensions has estimated that only six out of ten eligible pensioners have claimed to receive this support. This means that up to 880,000 people have not yet claimed the support available, leaving £2.1 billion of help unclaimed. This amounts to around £2,200 for each eligible person.
Stuart was very disappointed to learn that the government does not plan to redirect the money withdrawn from the scheme to helping those most in need of support. This is especially the case given that research from the Local Government Association has estimated the NHS spends £2.5 billion per year, as a minimum, on treating illnesses directly linked to cold, damp, and unsafe homes.
As such, Stuart has requested, as the Fuel Poverty Committee has done, that fuel poverty features in NHS England winter planning guidance. Additionally, he has called for the equivalent funding saved from the scheme to be ring-fenced as support for those who are vulnerable to rising energy costs.
"It is deeply regrettable that one of this new government’s first acts has been to scrap winter fuel payments for millions of pensioners at a time when energy bills are set to increase. It represents losses of up to £300 for almost a third of my constituents in South Shropshire. Pensioners deserve respect and dignity in retirement. That's why I joined fellow Conservative MPs in forcing a debate on this cruel and shameful policy."
