Councillors clash over Winter Fuel Payments axe

A political row broke out over a failed bid by opposition Conservatives in South Gloucestershire to demand a reversal of government cuts to the Winter Fuel Payments for millions of pensioners. A motion tabled at a full council meeting by Tory group leader Cllr Sam Bromiley was heavily reworded by Labour and approved with the backing of the party’s Liberal Democrat coalition allies.

Labour and the Lib Dems accused the Conservatives of “petty point-scoring” and trying to drive a wedge between them by using a policy they know their national parties are divided on. The Tories hit back, saying the major changes to the motion watered it down so much that it signalled a “miserable night for pensioners” and that the administration pretended it cared while refusing to criticise the Labour government’s decision that “picks the pockets” of vulnerable, elderly residents.

The amended motion removed references to the “devastating impact” that axing the Winter Fuel Payments would have on thousands of pensioners in the district and deleted a line that said that of the 10.8 million people who received it this year, 9.3 million would lose out completely. Instead it said that more than one million OAPs on Pension Credit or certain other means-tested benefits would continue to receive the money to help pay for heating bills during the cold months.

The amendment also added a line to say that removing the eligibility of pensioners outside this group would save the Treasury £1.4billion to help plug a £22billion gap in public finances “left by the previous government”. It said £182,000 from South Gloucestershire Council’s household support fund grant would be used to give direct energy payments of £100 to poorer pensioners.

And instead of proposing a letter from the local authority to the Chancellor of the Exchequer demanding a reversal of the decision to axe millions of Winter Fuel Payments, it now asked her to “consider a review of the current Pension Credit threshold to ensure it adequately protects the most vulnerable”. Cllr Bromiley told the meeting on Wednesday, October 16: “This is a miserable night for pensioners.

“Let’s be clear about what they’ve heard tonight – an administration pretending they care while at the same time refusing to criticise the decision that picks the pockets of pensioners.” He said the coalition failed to understand the impact it would have on residents.

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Cllr Bromiley said: “This administration has set the tone on how they will be responding to the concerning things done by this Labour government. We’ve seen tonight that you will simply look the other way, you will bury your head in the sand and try to distract.

“This winter many of our pensioners will now be worrying about whether to heat or eat and your response is simply to pretend that they don’t exist.” Labour cabinet member for communities and local place Cllr Sean Rhodes said the Tory motion was about “petty point-scoring”, not about protecting the most vulnerable.

He said: “Our partners in the Lib Dems don’t need to join the Labour Party. We work as a cohesive administration.

“And your sorry attempt at trying to drive a wedge between us is not going to work because we are here to support South Gloucestershire residents and we’re going to continue to do that.” Council co-leader and Labour group leader Cllr Ian Boulton said many pensioners did not need the payments and some had even told him that the handouts helped pay for their holidays.

Labour cabinet member for cost of living, equalities and public health Cllr Alison Evans, proposing the amendment, said a benefit targeted those most in need would be better than a universal payment. Lib Dem Cllr Ayrden Pocock said: “This administration is a partnership of two political groupings who at the national level have very different positions on this policy.

“Sometimes like tonight we will disagree and will have to come to a compromise, but through such a compromise we endeavour to reach a consensus that benefits the people of South Gloucestershire.” He told the Conservatives: “The motion you have put before us tonight is shameless political posturing.”

Lib Dem council leader Cllr Maggie Tyrrell said afterwards: “The motion tabled by the Conservatives was a blatant attempt to divide the partnership between the Liberal Democrats and Labour group. We were happy to support the Labour amendment as this restored the focus on our shared priorities to work locally for the good of the people of South Gloucestershire.

“The amendment spelled out what we are doing here in South Gloucestershire to promote Pension Credit take-up and explained that we have allocated £182,000 for direct energy payments to pensioners on benefits. It also called on the Chancellor to review the Pension Credit threshold to protect the most vulnerable and called on the council to build on its work promoting Pension Credits to do all it can to ensure pensioners and others are aware of what they are entitled to.

“It was deeply disappointing that the Conservatives would not vote to directly support the pensioners of South Gloucestershire and instead just wanted to play politics.”