DWP under pressure to reverse £300 Winter Fuel Payment cut 'immediately'

There are fresh calls to u-turn over the Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ) Winter Fuel Allowance cut. Millions of people will lose access to the payment worth £200 or £300 this year under a shake-up from the Labour Party government.

The petition reads: "We want the Government to restore the Winter Fuel Payment to how it was paid last winter immediately. We are concerned that pensioners could die if MPs do not act, and that the NHS could be under more pressure."

At 10,000 signatures, the government will respond to this petition. At 100,000 signatures, this petition will be considered for debate in Parliament. The decision to withdraw the Winter Fuel Payments from over 10 million pensioners not claiming Pension Credits was defended today by the Chancellor Rachel Reeves in September.

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In her keynote speech to the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, Ms Reeves said “It was made clear to me that failure to act quickly would undermine the UK`s financial position with implications for public debt, mortgages, and price, so I took action to make in-year savings necessary….to target the Winter Fuel Payment to those most in need, with the triple-lock ensuring the State Pension will rise by an estimated £1,700 over the course of this Parliament”.

The Chancellor went on to accuse the previous Government of leaving a £22 billion "black hole" in the public finances in unfunded commitments”. Conservative politician Gavin Barwell said previously: "This is what happens if you aren't straight with the people before polling day - and yes, the Conservatives weren't either - and say you have to cut fuel payments for all but the poorest pensioners because there's no money while offering public sector workers more generous pay deals."

Conservative MPs have previously tabled an early day motion against it, which could force the government to hold a vote. And mainstream loyalist MPs are expressing their concern in private.