Addressing the House of Commons, Keir Starmer said the Government has needed to “stabilise the economy with tough decisions” after taking over from the Tories, and that the economy is starting to improve. “We want to make sure people feel those improvements in their days as their lives go forward,” he said. “That is why we want to ensure that as we go forward, more pensioners are eligible for Winter Fuel Payments.” He said the Government will “only make decisions we can afford” and will therefore look at this as part of a fiscal event.
Paddy Lillis – Usdaw general secretary said: “Eligibility for Winter Fuel Payments was raised by many of our members attending the recent Usdaw Annual Delegate Meeting; it is an issue close to the hearts of many. We all know that the new Labour Government inherited an economy that was in a real mess, and many would agree that some tough measures needed to be taken to get Britain's economy back on the right track, but it’s important that the Government protects the most vulnerable in our society.
“It is right that the Government has listened to concerns and acted. So, we welcome the Government’s commitment to review eligibility, and we urge them to extend Winter Fuel Payments to more pensioners who are struggling to make ends meet, not least those who qualify for Pension Credit but do not currently receive it.”
Notes for editors:
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is one of the fastest growing unions in the TUC and the UK's fifth biggest trade union with around 360,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemical industry and other trades www.usdaw.org.uk
Winter Fuel Payment: https://www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment
For Usdaw press releases visit: www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Bluesky @usdawunion.bsky.social and Twitter/X @UsdawUnion