Exclusive:Winter Fuel Payment vote: Labour MPs to rebel against government over pensioner cut

The Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced that the payment would only be made to those on pension credit, blaming a £22 billion so-called “black hole” in public finances.

Previously all 11.4 million pensioners had received payments of up to £300 to help with winter energy bills, however by means testing it in this way the number has reduced to just 1.3 million.

There is set to be a vote in the House of Commons this afternoon on the cut.

A number of Labour MPs have told the Yorkshire Post they are prepared to rebel against the government by abstaining.

One of those, York Central’s Rachael Maskell, told this paper: “I’m going to be abstaining, which is a strong indication that I do not support these measures at all.

“I’m deeply concerned but I want to stay within the Labour Party because I want to work on the solutions and how we’re going to mitigate the impact of them, and ensure people are safe, well and warm this winter.

“I see this vote as one step in a process, but what follows is of equal importance.”

Other MPs confirmed privately they would also not be voting for the measure.

A backbench source said they expected a large number of Labour members to abstain.

Ms Maskell was one of the sponsors of the early day motion against the Winter Fuel Payment cut.

It has also been backed by six of the seven MPs who lost the party whip in July after voting against the King’s Speech over the Government’s refusal to abolish the two-child benefit cap, including Leeds East MP Richard Burgon and Bradford East’s Imran Hussain.

Downing Street said yesterday that Sir Keir Starmer’s Cabinet was fully united behind plans to dramatically scale back the winter fuel allowance.

No ministers spoke out against the cut and they “agreed” on the importance of “fixing the foundations of the economy” by taking tough and unpopular spending decisions, a No10 spokeswoman said.

Disavowing suggestions made by a Home Office minister on yesterday’s broadcast round that the Treasury is looking at ways to mitigate the cut, No 10 said there had been no discussion of softening the impact of the policy.

Asked whether Kingston upon Hull North MP Dame Diana Johnson had been “freelancing” when she indicated the Government is considering doing more than encouraging further take-up of Pension Credit, Downing Street said the remarks had been “promptly corrected”.

Ms Maskell said: “It’s really important we find mitigation or else old people will be cold when winter hits. 

“We’ve got to make sure people are kept safe.

“There’s a million people just above the pension credit threshold who will really struggle this winter with the rising costs of fuel.

“I certainly have been raising opportunities like a social tariff, although the charities sector is saying delay is the only realistic way of ensuring people who need it get Winter Fuel Payments.”

Unite union general secretary Sharon Graham accused Labour of deciding to “pick the pocket of pensioners” while leaving the richest “totally untouched” and urged Sir Keir to “do a U-turn” on means-testing the allowance.

She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We need to make sure that he is making the right choices and leadership is about choices. He needs to be big enough and brave enough to do a U-turn on this choice. It’s completely wrong.

“People do not understand how a Labour Government has decided to pick the pocket of pensioners and, at the same time, leave the richest in our society totally untouched. That is wrong and he needs to change course.”

Ms Graham called instead for a tax on the “1% wealthiest”, which she claimed would raise £25 billion rather than the £1.2 billion restricting winter fuel payments would save.

She said: “The wealthiest in the country have been at the front of the queue for 14 years. I want to see workers and communities now at the front of the queue and that is why we’re saying they must do a U-turn on this very, very, very cruel (policy).”

Meanwhile, Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union general secretary Mick Lynch said the Government is making a “historic mistake”.

“They will have to do something about this historic mistake, otherwise we will start to see the consequences this winter,” he told a fringe meeting at the TUC Congress in Brighton.

Ahead of the vote, Ms Reeves spoke at a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party last night in an effort to address backbench concerns.