Derry and Strabane council support the reinstatement of winter fuel payment at special meeting

Derry City and Strabane District Council has voted unanimously calling for the reinstatement of the Winter Fuel Payment.

At a special meeting of council on Tuesday, October 29, People Before Profit Councillor Shaun Harkin proposed the motion to endorse the Unite the Union initiated pledge letter signed onto by all of the Stormont parties calling for the reinstatement of the Winter Fuel Payment and that if the Westminster government refuses to reinstate the winter fuel payment, it should be fully mitigated by the Stormont executive.

In late July, the new Labour Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, announced the payment would become means-tested, a change in policy that was expected to reduce the number of pensioners in receipt of the benefit.

This was after the government said that it needed to fill a £22 billion “black hole” in the public finances.

Ms Reeves is said to have since identified a far larger £40 billion funding gap, which she will seek to plug to protect key departments from real-term cuts and put the economy on a firmer footing.

Discovery of the “black hole” in the weeks following July’s election led to Ms Reeves making a series of what she called “difficult decisions” to close the gap, including the move to means-test winter fuel payments.

The council heard from the Freeze the Cuts campaign, Unite the Union, and Age NI representatives calling for Reinstatement of the Winter Fuel Payment, following a protest outside the Guildhall supported by many organisations to achieve this.

Ellen Moore from the Freeze the Cuts campaign said: “I have to speak out about the Labour government, who is also the leader of the party supposed to remove the heating allowance from elderly people. 

“We are looking at Sir Keir Starmer, who thinks it is ok to tax older people instead of taxing energy companies; it is ok to pick the pockets of pensioners instead of spending less on war; it is ok to enrich billionaires by seizing the life out of grandparents.”

Lisa McGeedy from Unite the Union said: “I want to thank you all for the support on this very important issue. I would also like to give my thanks to all the political parties, as all party leaders have now signed the pledge of support for this campaign calling on the Labour government to reverse this decision.

“The decision by the UK Labour Party to effectively scrap the winter fuel payment by means testing is an atrocious act towards some of the most vulnerable in our society; their reasoning of trying to save 1.2 billion from the inherited 22 billion black hole is no justification to essentially send more of our pensioners into an already existing fuel poverty situation.”

“Unite instead has proposed a one percent tax on the wealthiest billionaires to more than fill this black hole; this particular group over the past 13 years has seen tax breaks and wealth increase due to the Tories looking after them. Pensioners and the poorest among us have had their austerity.

“The argument of affordability and pensioners not needing the money is one pushed by the Labour Party; however means testing does not make our society fair; it just means our most vulnerable fall through the cracks. A pensioner on as little as £200 per week will lose this payment.

“The support from the public and within communities shows just how deep this issue runs. Unite’s message to Stormont as well as all devolved governments;reverse these cuts to the winter fuel payment.

“This cut to the fuel allowance is going to further exacerbate that and have a knock-on effect for our services like the NHS and the care sector; some pensioners are also a lifeline to working parents. Children and pensioners in cold homes is simply unacceptable. 

“If this cut goes ahead, deaths will occur because of pensioners not being able to heat their homes.”

Age NI said that they were extremely concerned about the impact of means testing the Winter Fuel payment will have on older people across Northern Ireland. 

They said that the majority of older people are on a fixed income, and for many, the Winter Fuel Payment has become something they depend on to keep their homes warm during the winter months.

Cllr Harkin said: “I think we can all agree that what the Starmer government did as one of their first acts, announcing they were cutting the winter fuel payment, was a disgrace.

“The level of harm this will cause is becoming clearer and clearer.”

The motion was seconded by SDLP Councillor Catherine McDaid, with support for the motion coming from fellow SDLP councillor Brian Tierney.

He said: “Anyone who thinks cutting welfare benefits from pensioners, particularly around the winter fuel payment, is absolutely crazy.

“We as a party will do whatever we can to help and to support people who are campaigning to reverse this cut.”

Before the motion was passed, the mayor of Derry and Strabane District Council, Councillor Lilian Seenoi-Barr, announced her support for the motion.

She said: “I think it is beggars belief to imagine a Labour government is the one leading with these cuts.

“Punishing older people is absolutely disgraceful, but I want to commend you with the work with this campaign; it is needed and important.”