A pensioner who is set to lose the Winter Fuel Payment has accused the Labour Government of “letting down” the elderly generation, claiming it is “not fair” to remove the benefit for millions of Britons.
Despite major backlash from pensioners and political figures, Chancellor Rachel Reeves assured the nation this week that cutting the benefit was “the right decision”.
Angela Maskell, who cares for her 82-year-old husband, told GB News that they are frightened of “having to sit in the freezing cold” as they have to rely on halogen heaters due to a broken central heating system.
Maskell told host Patrick Christys: “Our central heating is inefficient and we don’t have it all. We we’ve only got two halogen heaters, but that really isn’t enough.
The Prime Minister has been accused of ‘letting down’ pensioners over the Winter Fuel Payment cuts
GB News / Reuters
“Ideally we’d like to get the central heating fixed, but it is going to be costly. Or alternatively, we’d like to get some more powerful room heaters.”
Detailing her husband’s poor health, Maskell revealed that Frederick is an amputee and has limited mobility, which means he is unable to move around their home in an attempt to keep warm.
Maskell said: “My husband has limited mobility, he’s an amputee. He has difficulty walking.
“He has a motability scooter, which he doesn’t use in the home, but walking is difficult and he’s had some falls.”
Rachel Reeves has defended the move, claiming it was the ‘right decision’
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Hitting out at the Labour government’s decision to scrap the payment, Maskell expressed her frustration and claimed it is “not fair” to remove the benefit for millions of pensioners.
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She exclaimed: “I think we’ve just been let down, because there’s going to be loads of people our age that have got some sort of health problem, and the Labour government have given it no thought of the consequences.
“It’s very unfair. A lot of people have worked all of our lives, being law abiding citizens. We’re at a time of life where we want to enjoy our retirement, not sit in the freezing cold with loads of layers on. It’s just not right.”
When asked by Patrick how she will cope being in her cold home while having to look after her husband, Maskell noted that although she is able to walk around the flat to warm up, Frederick is unable to.
Maskell told GB News: “He can’t walk around because of the limited mobility. He can’t get up and walk around the room a bit as I can.
Patrick Christys is fundraising to help pensioners affected by the Winter Fuel Payment cuts
GB News
“I can just take myself off and walk up and down the flat, but he can’t do that with ease.”
Patrick has also set up a JustGiving fundraising page, to help raise money for Friends of the Elderly, which has raised over £193,000 so far.
To support the cause and make a donation, visit Patrick’s JustGiving page HERE.