'People will die due to loss of winter fuel payment'

Taking winter fuel payments away from pensioners is "cruel and unnecessary", a council has warned.

Bath and North East Somerset Council (BANES), a Liberal Democrat controlled authority, has resolved to write to the government, urging it to abandon the plan to reduce payment eligibility.

Cllr David Harding, who represents the Chew Valley, said: “We can be in no doubt: people will die this winter because of this change.”

But the council’s Labour group said the motion was a political tactic “in one of the country’s wealthiest areas".

An estimated 32,414 pensioners across the BANES area would not qualify for the £200–£300 benefit to help with heating bills any more.

The government says it needs to make the savings to help cover a "£22bn black hole" in the country's finances.

Now only pensioners who qualify for certain benefits will receive winter fuel payments, an estimated 1.5 million people. Last winter 10.8 million people got the payment.

While some pensioners have admitted they don't need the money, there are concerns from charities that some will be left unable to heat their homes.

Mr Harding continued: “While it is sensible to withdraw winter fuel payments from those who don’t need them, pension credit is an inadequate way of addressing this."

He added 880,000 households currently eligible for pension credit do not claim it, and as such, "the line needs to be drawn elsewhere".

Cllr Robin Moss, Labour leader for Westfield, told a council meeting on 19 September: “If you look at the statistics for BANES, it is working families that are struggling most with poverty. It is not older people within BANES as a whole."

Mr Moss added the Labour government had inherited "extremely difficult financial circumstances" and that tough cuts must be made.

Liberal Democrat MP for Bath, Wera Hobhouse, has also criticised the government’s decision to cut the benefit.

She said: "Stripping support from thousands of vulnerable pensioners in Bath just as energy bills are set to rise is cruel and completely unnecessary.

“I’m proud of my Bath & North East Somerset Council colleagues for taking all possible steps to support the most vulnerable elderly people in our communities.

"Together, we can hold the government to account and fight for a fair deal for pensioners in Bath," she added.

The motion was passed with 38 votes in favour, six votes against, and four abstentions.

The vast majority of those eligible will only receive winter fuel payments if they have first claimed pension credit.

This is a state pension top-up, which itself is worth thousands of pounds a year.

An estimated 880,000 eligible pensioners fail to claim pension credit.

You could be eligible for pension credit if you are above state pension age and have an income of less that £218.15 a week, or less than £332.95 as a joint weekly income with your partner. Savings are also taken into account.

If people are entitled to pension credit, for at least one day between 16 and 22 September, they will receive the winter fuel payment.

People can check their eligibility for pension credit via the government's online calculator.

Additional reporting by Bea Swallow

Follow BBC Somerset on Facebook and X. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.