'Charity begins at home' - Yorkshire pensioner 'disgusted' by winter fuel allowance cut

After it became clear that the chancellor’s policy would go ahead and millions would miss out on winter fuel payments, Pauline Fretwell, 75, of Westfield, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) she was “disgusted” by the government for not looking after the pensioners.

Pauline said: “My policy is ‘charity begins at home’. They should be looking after us and it’s disgusting they are taking this winter fuel allowance off us.”

Pauline added she had no idea whether she was going to be able to put the heating on this winter after the government opted to cut the payments to anyone not receiving pension credit.

She said: “Old aged pensioners, when it’s bad weather, they don’t go out. They have to stay in their homes. Therefore they need to be warm in their homes, don’t they? Other than that, a lot of pensioners have health issues – which I have myself. These health issues… they are telling you to keep warm.

“I worked all my life. I have never been on benefits. We paid full (price) for everything…”

Pauline added her late husband’s pension was really good for them as it covered the bills – but since he’s died, she could not get that pension, leaving her with only her state pension to rely on.

She said she has a family – a daughter, a son-in-law, two granddaughters and a great-granddaughter – who have been fantastic. However, she added she was a “very independent person” and would not ask for money unless “it’s really necessary”.

When we talk to Pauline in her home it’s 11C and chucking it down outside. It’s still very early – it’s not even the middle of September just yet – but Pauline had to change her summer duvet to her winter duvet. She is worried about how she is going to cope in the winter months ahead.

“It’s terrible what this country has come to, it really is,” Pauline said.

Coun Sophie Thornton told the LDRS pensioners like Pauline are either having a lot of anxiety about what’s going to happen during winter or they are just disgusted.

She said: “I’m super concerned about how it’s going to affect residents in our local areas, particularly people who live on their own, who don’t have a family around them, people who may have been recently bereaved and aren’t used to managing their finances because that might be something their partner did.

“What does disgust me when you have MPs claiming heating bills on their expenses for their second homes in London when they are on £80,000-£90,000… for them to say to their residents they’re going to turn around and vote to cut a winter fuel allowance for pensioners in their areas, it’s disgusting and pure hypocrisy.”

It was reported that the government would retain the triple-lock pension scheme which would mean an extra £460 a year for pensioners starting in April.

Coun Thornton said “it was poor timing”. She said: “When you get to April, it starts getting warmer again, to say you can have some extra money now…”

Thousands of pensioners in Sheffield who could be eligible for pension credit, an extra bit of cash for those who struggle to make ends meet, don’t have it for a number of reasons.

Coun Thornton said: “I tell anyone who needs support or is concerned and doesn’t know what they are entitled to, contact the councillors, contact the MPs, contact their housing officers, contact anyone you can to make sure you get the support you need this winter.”

As part of Rachel Reeves’ money-saving scheme, there will be an 85 per cent cut in the number of pensioners eligible for winter fuel payments in Sheffield when the plans go into effect.

The policy – which will see only those on pension credit or other means-tested benefits eligible – is expected to reduce the number of pensioners in receipt of the payment by 10 million, saving some £1.4bn this financial year.

Winter fuel payment was introduced by Tony Blair’s government “to help them stay warm during colder months and this year will see those eligible get between £100 and £300”.

The data shows although 87,880 pensioners in Sheffield received winter fuel payments in the 2022/23 financial year, a total of 74,951 (85 per cent) are expected to lose this type of benefit. The government said the change was needed to tackle the “black hole” in the public finances.