Winter fuel allowance campaign

Unions kept up the pressure on the government to reverse its decision to end the winter fuel allowance for millions of pensioners ahead of the Budget announcement on 30 October. They joined National Pensioner Convention rallies outside Parliament and the Stormont executive in Belfast.

Under plans announced by chancellor Rachel Reeves, around 10 million pensioners are this autumn set to lose their winter fuel payments, worth between £200 and £300. The PCS civil service union said the decision “has been met with outrage” from pensioners, charities and trade unions, and votes at both TUC and Labour conferences called for its immediate reversal.

The Labour conference motion, put forward by Unite and seconded by the CWU communication workers union, called for the government to instead tax the wealthy.

Unite also held rallies across the UK, as part of its Unite4Energy for All campaign, in protest at the Ofgem price cap increase. It said the price hike would be nearly 15% for pensioners and other vulnerable groups, with the cut to the fuel allowance making the situation even more desperate for many.

TSSA transport union general secretary Maryam Eslamdoust said: “While ministers are relying on private donors to fund their clothes, birthday parties, holidays, leisure activities and even their living arrangements, they are making cruel and out-of-touch decisions that deprive pensioners of a once-a-year heating subsidy."