MPs vote to MEANS-TEST Winter Fuel Payment as Labour's 'war on pensioners' heats up

The motion to slash Winter Fuel Payments will go ahead after the Government defeated an attempt by opposition MPs to scrap the proposal.

This effectively scraps the benefit, which offers up to £300 in energy bill support, for 10 million older Britons.

In July, Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed the new Labour Government's decision to means-test the Winter Fuel Payment to address the £22billion "black hole" in the public finances.

Going forward, older Britons will now need to be in receipt of means-tested payments from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), such as Pension Credit.

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Prime Minister Keir Starmer has come under fire for the controversial decision which has criticism from charities, poverty campaigners and members of his own party.

Former Conservative Cabinet minister Esther McVey has claimed the decision to effectively scrap the energy bill benefit for older households means Labour is "declaring war on pensioners".

Calls of shame could be heard from opposition MPs after confirmation of the Government's win was read out in the House of Commons.

Speaking to Parliament, Pensions Minister Liz Kendall hit back at the "faux outrage" from Conservative MPs across the aisle.

She shared: “I would say to the faux outrage of members opposite, the faux outrage of members opposite who left 880,000 pensioners, the very poorest, not getting the pension credit they’re entitled to.

“And I would urge all honourable members to work with us and their local councils to make sure pensioners get the money they’re entitled to.”

Ahead of today's vote, Conservative Party leader frontrunner Robert Jenrick MP voiced his opposition over the allowance's means-testing.

On social media, the former Cabinet minster asserted Labour's decision as one of the "most dishonest acts in modern British politics".

Based on the division list, Labour MP Jon Trickett, who represents the Normanton and Hemsworth constituency, supported the Tories'motion while no vote was recorded for 53 Labour MPs.

However, it should be noted that this does not automatically equate to an abstention for each MP as they may have received permission to miss a vote.

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According to the Government, a reported uptake in Pension Credit claims will offset any damage caused by the Winter Fuel Payment being menas-tested.

Conservative former minister Harriett Baldwin asked the Pensions Minsiter: “Will she confirm from the despatch box that if every pensioner who is eligible for pension credit takes it up, that the cost to the exchequer will actually be substantially more than the savings from axing the Winter Fuel Payment?”

Kendall replied: "I would ask the honourable lady is that why members opposite never took the action needed to increase Pension Credit uptake.

“We take a different approach, and I would say to her that all of the savings the Chancellor has announced take into account that increased uptake that we want and we intend to do.”