Labour has labelled Durham County Council plans to write to the Government about the decision to cut back on Winter Fuel Payments as “performative” and “a sham”.
A Labour Amendment, to a LibDem Motion, calling on the council to “immediately set up and fund a unit to organise and run a Pension Credit awareness campaign” was rejected by Full Council, which voted instead for portfolio holders to write to the Chancellor to ask that the policy of linking the winter payments to pension credit be scrapped.
Labour Deputy Leader, Cllr Rob Crute, who seconded the Amendment, tabled by Cllr Fraser Tinsley, said:
“We acknowledge and sympathise with the concerns and sentiment expressed in the motion, but the action does not go far enough to address people’s worries.
“People expect robust, direct action, not letter writing. We need dialogue with ministers and an immediate, coordinated Council response, not performative handwringing from these Coalition hypocrites who stayed silent when their Tory government used austerity to bring our budget and public services to the brink of collapse, alongside reckless mismanagement of the national economy that sent interest rates soaring barely two years ago.
“Letters won’t cut the mustard. They won’t reverse the catastrophic impact of successive Tory governments pandering to wealth and privilege while the rest are left behind. We need direct practical action, which is exactly what our amendment demands.For weeks Labour has had measures in place to help anyone affected, something the Coalition only now realise must be done. We will not take a step backwards to allow the Coalition to catch up.
“This Motion as it now stands is a complete sham and will accomplish nothing.”
Under government proposals, those not on pension credit or other means-tested benefits will no longer get the Winter Fuel Allowance.
Cllr Fraser Tinsley added:
“County Durham faces many challenges following 14 years of Tory and Lib Dem neglect and failure. Nobody wants cuts to Winter Fuel Payments, but the reality is that while some pensioners rely on it, some do not need it.
“Focus should be on getting money to the most vulnerable across the county – there are thousands who should be claiming Pension Credit and don’t. The government must look at additional support for those just above the threshold who will struggle, and I hope this will be addressed in the Autumn Statement.
“In County Durham we could immediately launch a funded unit to find and support these people to get them what they are entitled to. This idea was rejected by the Coalition, which instead chose to play political games rather than focus on supporting the most vulnerable people we represent and rejected Labour’s offer to work together on this issue.”