‘How many premature deaths will this cause?’ Ministers are under fire over cuts to pensioners’ winter fuel payments as protesters gather outside Parliament

Ministers came under fire again today over plans to cut winter fuel payments for pensioners.

MPs from across the House of Commons pushed for the decision to subject the benefit to a means test for the first time.

It came as protesters gathered outside Parliament House for a demonstration organized by the Unite trade union, demanding that the decision be reversed.

Conservative shadow work and pensions minister Mel Stride pointed to Labor research from 2017 when his party proposed a means-tested winter fuel payments scheme in its manifesto, which suggested almost 4,000 pensioners would die as a result of the policy.

He asked Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall if she “Stick with that number and add, “If not, how many premature deaths do you think there will be as a result of this policy?”

Conservative shadow work and pensions minister Mel Stride pointed to Labor research from 2017 when his party proposed a means-tested winter fuel payments scheme in its manifesto, which suggested almost 4,000 pensioners would die as a result of the policy. He asked Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall if she would “stand by that figure”.

The Cabinet minister responded: “His party’s manifesto in 2017 promised to means test winter fuel payments.”

“So I would just say to (Mr Stride) until party members hear that they need to apologize to the British people for the 200,000 extra pensioners in poverty over the last 14 years and for a £22 billion black hole in the public finances “What we are now correcting, what has put public finances at risk, they will stay in those seats and we will stay in those.”

Ms Kendall said she would “like to bring these figures into the public debate” which point to an additional 200,000 pensioners in poverty.

The government has scrapped the previously universal scheme and will instead issue packages of up to £300 to pensioners who receive some means-tested benefits, including Pension Credit and Universal Credit.

The government has scrapped the previously universal scheme and will instead issue packages of up to £300 to pensioners who receive some means-tested benefits, including Pension Credit and Universal Credit.

Mr Stride later said the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Treasury had published impact assessments on the policy change on September 13, responding to Freedom of Information requests, just three days after a House of Commons debate on the winter fuel payment.

The DWP concluded that 83 percent of pensioners over 80 would not receive payments.

“We have published an equality analysis,” Ms Kendall told MPs.

“This government will be open and transparent, and we are already doing that.”

Labor MP and chair of the Work and Pensions Committee Debbie Abrahams expressed “real concerns about people who are just above that threshold, but still,” during a House of Commons question on the government’s plans to make the winter fuel allowance means-tested remain in poverty”.

The Oldham East and Saddleworth MP added: “Are there any further remedial measures that (Work and Pensions Minister Liz Kendall) will take to ensure pensioners living in poverty, and particularly disabled pensioners, do not suffer?”

Ms Kendall replied: “Alongside our work to increase the take-up of pension credits, I would also say that the Household Support Fund is available to those who are just above the pension credit level.”

said Democrat Steve Darling: “There are 2.7 million pensioners over 80 who would benefit from the £300 winter fuel allowance.” They are among the most vulnerable in our society and you are absolutely right about how the previous government treated them let down.

“But let’s not make things worse because the new government has let them down.”

The Liberal Democrat added: “Can you reassure us that you will reverse this regressive approach you have taken with the winter fuel allowance and not target the most vulnerable over 80?”

Ms Kendall replied: “He will know that this was not a decision we wanted or expected to make.”

“The reason we have done this is because we have to deal with the £22 billion black hole in public finances left by opposition MPs, but in doing so, as a progressive party, we will always favor the poorest pensioners “We are determined to put an end to a situation in which up to 880,000 people go without fuel in the winter because they don’t receive pension credit, and we are determined to fix that bring to.”