Rachel Reeves implored to reverse Winter Fuel Payment axe as pensioners face 'unnecessary suffering'
Winter Fuel Payments are now a means-tested benefit with critics warning the decision is exacerbating the cost of living crisis for pensioners
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Chancellor Rachel Reeves is facing calls from charities, anti-poverty campaigners and MPs from her own party to reverse her decision to means-test Winter Fuel Payments.
Last year, Reeves confirmed that the previous universal benefit for pensioners would now be reserved for those on Pension Credit, a top-up payment for elderly people on low income.
Simon Francis, coordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, has urged the Government to reconsider its Winter Fuel Payment cuts.
He stated: "The Chancellor's cuts to Winter Fuel Payments last year caused unnecessary suffering for thousands of older people, especially those who just missed out on the payments or have disabilities."
The Chancellor is facing scrutiny over her decisions in regard to Winter Fuel Payments
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"Reports in the media suggest that she is now looking to take an axe to the Labour Manifesto commitment to double spending on a Warm Homes Plan."
He warned that any reduction to the £13.2billion Warm Homes Plan would have "long term consequences" for households in fuel poverty.
Francis welcomed reports that Rachel Reeves might be rethinking the policy but expressed concern about other potential cuts.
Opposition to the Labour government's welfare cuts is mounting as research suggests 800,000 people with legitimate claims could lose their Personal Independence Payment (PIP) benefits.
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Rachel Reeves is under fire
Parliament TVThe cuts, which could save around £5bn, have been branded "the biggest attack on the welfare state since George Osborne" in a letter signed by 42 MPs.
Six North East MPs have refused to back the Government's plans, expressing concerns about the impact on vulnerable constituents.
The six North East MPs who signed the letter opposing the welfare cuts are Ian Lavery, Emma Lewell, Mary Glindon, Kate Osborne, Grahame Morris and Mary Kelly Foy.
Speaking in Parliament, a visibly angry Lavery condemned the proposals: "Why, when the rich are getting richer, and the very rich are getting richer, are we attacking people on pennies, taking away their livelihoods, making their lives so miserable?"
The New Economic Foundation (NEF) has warned that PIP is currently supporting exactly the people it was designed to help.
Critics are also calling for a rethink on Winter Fuel Payment cuts that have caused "unnecessary suffering" for thousands.
Based on the think tank's research indicates that "the disability benefits bill has risen due to two factors: a rise in the number of disabled people eligible for state support, and a rise in deprivation".
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Disabled benefit payments have been impacted by the overhaul
GETTYNEF senior economist Max Mosley explained: "Our analysis suggests that PIP is going to exactly the sort of people it is intended to support, but that higher rates of disability and financial hardship are driving more people to claim."
He warned that restricting access to PIP would have serious consequences: "The Government's plans to restrict access to PIP will lead to hundreds of thousands of disabled people missing out on support they very much need."
A DWP spokesperson responded to concerns, stating: "To be clear, there will be no immediate changes to Personal Independence Payment and the majority of people who are currently getting PIP will continue to receive it."
They added that the government is "creating a sustainable welfare system that genuinely supports people into work and out of poverty - backed by £1bn additional employment support funding."
The DWP claims the new system will be "fairer for the taxpayer" while still providing support for those who need it.
They say people with "the most severe, life-long, conditions who we know will never be able to work will be exempt from Universal Credit reassessments."