LIB DEM COUNCILLORS LEAD THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST LABOUR'S CUTS TO PENSIONERS' WINTER FUEL PAYMENTS

“Vital Winter Fuel Payments should have been kept for most pensioners. The Labour Government’s cuts to the Payments are hitting an estimated 11,216 pensioners across Slough. My motion for the meeting of Slough Borough Council on Thurs 26 September called for this Labour plan to cut the Winter Fuel Payment for so many pensioners to be dropped” said Slough Lib Dem Councillor Frank O’Kelly. 

Cllr O’Kelly continued: “My motion called on the Chief Executive of Slough Council to write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, calling for the planned cuts to be suspended until a much fairer scheme can be found.  The motion said the Government should only go ahead with cutting the Winter Fuel Payments if the cuts can be restricted to those who clearly do not need the payments. The payments should still be received by most pensioners on low and middle incomes.” 

Frank O’Kelly added: “Our campaign against these cuts will not stop just because the Labour Government has forced most of its MPS to vote for the cuts to go ahead.” 

Lib Dem councillor for Elliman Ward, Amjad Abbasi, added “Many elderly people in Slough have told us how worried they are by this unfair Labour cut which will hit over 11,000 Slough pensioners. So, it is very important that we continue campaigning against these Government cuts to Winter Fuel Payments.”

Cllr O’Kelly also explained: “My motion also called on the Slough Council campaign to run a significant awareness campaign to maximise the uptake of Pension Credits. Pensioners who receive them will also continue to get their Winter Fuel Payments. However, currently over 880,000 pensioners across the UK are not claiming this benefit even though they are entitled to claim it.”

Cllr O’Kelly added: “I was delighted my campaign against Labour's cut in pensioners' Winter Fuel Payments was featured in the Slough Observer online on 12 September 2024 in an article headed: ”Winter fuel payment cut ‘to hit 11,000 Slough pensioners’

Finally, Cllr O’Kelly added: “I was also pleased that my Lib Dem motion at Slough Borough Council was also supported by the councillors from the Tory and Independent groups on Slough Council, but very disappointed that Slough's Labour councillors did not support it. Me and my Lib Dem colleagues will continue to try to get the Labour Government to recognise it is wrong to cut Winter Fuel Payments for so many pensioners.”