I went to the area of Birmingham where most people are set to lose huge benefits

'Disgusting, 'absolute disgrace', 'it wasn't done fairly' - pensioners in Sutton Coldfield, the area of Birmingham with the most winter fuel allowance recipients, react to news of its cutback

Angry pensioners in the area of Birmingham set to be hardest hit by winter fuel payment cutbacks have hit out at the move by the new Labour Government. Rachel Reeves announced that only pensioners on the lowest incomes – those on Pension Credit and certain other benefits like Universal Credit would continue to receive the winter fuel allowance benefit, which has been given to OAPs since 1997.

The payment is aimed at helping out with increased heating costs in the colder months and pensioners received either £200 or £300 if 80 or over, as a tax-free sum, irrespective of their income in years gone by. Now Chancellor Rachel Reeves has introduced means-testing to the benefit.

According to the Department for Work and Pensions some 10.8 million pensioners living in 7.6 million households in England and Wales received the payment last winter (2023/2024). Payments were made per household not per pensioner.

Read more: Thousands of state pensioners make DWP claim to win back Winter Fuel Payment

But this will drop to some 1.5 million pensioners in 1.3 million households receiving the payment this winter. That will save the treasury £1.3 billion in this financial year and £1.5 billion in subsequent years. There are also said to be 800,000 people eligible for Pension Credit who do not claim it and thereby are not also eligible now for the winter fuel payment.

The area of Birmingham with by far the highest number of winter fuel allowance recipients is Sutton Coldfield. The constituency on the north-eastern edge of the city had some 21,019 pensioners receiving the benefit in 2023/2024.

That’s more than 4,000 more OAPs than the next highest number, 16,608 in Northfield on the opposite corner of Birmingham. With Sutton’s neighbour, Erdington, having the third-highest number of recipients – 15,709.

BirminghamLive visited Falcon Lodge and Sutton town centre to gauge the views of pensioners set to miss out on the payment for the first time. And every one of them was not happy.

One 68-year-old woman who did not want to be named said: “I think it’s disgusting. I think it’s a load of rubbish. I did not vote for them. I’m 68. I work as well.

“it’s not me I’m thinking about, it’s the older people in their 70s and 80s. I just think Keir Starmer does not like pensioners.”

Read more: Winter Fuel Payment cuts will hit 105,000 Birmingham pensioners as U-turn urged

'I have worked all my life - I think I'm entitled to it'

Another woman, who was in her 80s and also wanted to remain anonymous, said: “I have worked all my life from the age of 15 to 65. I put into the system and I think I’m entitled to it.

“It affects those of us with a little private pension. I have lived on Falcon Lodge for 62 years. It’s the in-between people that get hit.”Paul Twomlow, 77, who lives on the Defence Estates near Falcon Lodge said: “It’s s**t really. You’ve had something and it’s taken away from you. You think ‘how does it work then?’.

“I am never going to be below the level [where the winter fuel allowance becomes payable]. I have worked and spent wisely. I’m an ex-Ford worker and get a new car each year.

“They will just screw everybody to death. I was amazed we got it [the fuel allowance] in the first place. But having had it you don’t want to lose it.”

Read more: DWP issues claim deadline for people to be eligible for Warm Home Discount

'It's bl**dy disgusting - why can't they look at themselves more?'

One pensioner who thinks she will still get the winter fuel payment, and will get a bonus on top this year, was still scathing of the changes. Sandra Gough, who has turned 80, and has lived on Falcon Lodge for 50 years said: “It’s bl**dy disgusting,

“There’s hundreds and thousands out there who are multi-millionaires several times over. They won’t take it off them.

“I agree there are some wealthy pensioners. They don’t need it but take it. But why can’t they [the politicians] look at themselves more?

“Put them in our shoes. I grew up with parents that had nothing. Got married, had nothing. I’m old and I have nothing. And I have never owed a penny.”

While another woman aged 81 said: “I think it’s dreadful. I am at the end of my savings as well and will lose £300.”

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'Martin Lewis, I think his idea was a good one'

Yvonne Leggett from Boldmere, said she was over 70, and thought the way the winter fuel allowance is being cut from a number of pensioners was too harsh. She said: “Martin Lewis, I think his idea was a good one.

“He said all those in Bands A to D [council tax properties] should get the allowance. I think it should be people who don’t have a very high income. It wasn’t done fairly. It’s been done too harshly.”

A 74-year-old man who lives near the town centre in Coleshill Street, but asked not to be named said: “I think it’s an absolute disgrace.

“The same day they had a Labour MP saying they are the lowest paid and they got paid £91,000. To actually say to pensioners ‘we are going to nick the £200’. Also £200 used to be a lot of money, not now.

“They are in another world. Especially when you hear the freebies they are getting. A lot of pensioners are extremely hard pressed. Sometimes it’s food or fuel.

“If you put in for that Pension Credit it’s pages of gobbledegook. You have got a lot of old people that can’t stand the idea of it. It’s theft of £200.”

Read more: Six key energy-saving tips for every family including heating, showers and cooking

'The way they have done it is subterfuge'

While another pensioner from Boldmere said he thinks the £22 billion black hole the Labour Government says it has discovered is a ‘lie’. The management consultant said: “I think there are several levels.

“One is they are searching for some reason to do all the tax stuff. They are saying there’s a black hole, which is fabricated. They decided to go for the reduction in the fual allowance.

“All it’s gaining is £1.5 billion. Basically they have done it straight away because they think, as all politicians do, blame everything on the previous Government. They didn’t anticipate the response and it’s backfired.

“Standing back looking at it – it should have been means-tested. There’s arguments on both sides. But the way they have done it is subterfuge. Lying and covering up.

“The lie principally is the black hole and then linking it all [like the winter fuel allowance cut] to the black hole.”