Darlington pensioners have been left "fearing they will have to choose between heating or eating" after a controversial decision to means-test the Winter Fuel Payment.
This week, the Government saw off an attempt to block the planned cut to the winter fuel payment, with 19 North East Labour MPs voting to scrap the support.
The tough changes mean only those on Pension Credit, and other means-tested benefits, are eligible - sparking fears that thousands of pensioners in the town could be pushed into poverty.
Kevin Cooper, interim chief executive of Age UK North Yorkshire and Darlington, recently described the payment, worth £200 to £300, as an “essential lifeline” - and urged the Government to “think again” on the “knee-jerk” move.
The Northern Echo visited the Age UK North Yorkshire and Darlington site on Beaumont St West on Wednesday (September 11) to speak to pensioners about the cut’s impact on them - with some branding the news as “shocking” and “wrong”.
Clare Hardie, information and advice manager at the service, said: “There are a lot of people that are only just slightly eligible - we are going to have millions of older people struggling to pay their bills.
“It’s going to affect mental health too and will have a knock-on effect - it’s not just going to be about do I eat or do I heat.
“If we have a bad winter this year, then they are not going to get out. It concerns us how we are going to reach out to these people.”
Clare, who has been working at the site for two years, said she fears some elderly people will not accept the help because they simply “don’t want to" or are too proud to ask for it.
‘My siblings come to my flat to get warm’
One Age UK volunteer, who wished to remain anonymous but will be impacted by the cut, said she thinks what the Government is doing with winter fuel payments is “wrong”.
The 69-year-old retired NHS worker explained: “They should be doing it gradually rather than cutting it all at once. All my friends' thoughts are the same.
“I will absolutely have to be more cautious. I’m going to have to change the way I spend money. I am a member of the Labour Party and it is shocking.”
The life-long Darlington resident said: “I realise they had to do something but it's just so cut and dry. I don’t think much thought has gone into it.”
Liz Cran, deputy manager of daycare, said her mother would “put the heating on but not buy food” - or would even “go to bed with an electric blanket and stay in her room” to keep warm.
“I can’t believe they are doing it,” she explained.
Barbara Carr, Barbara Tremewan, and Jean Hay, who all live in sheltered accommodation Dalkeith House, are thankfully not affected by the winter fuel cut.
But they know plenty of people who are.
Barbara Tremewan, from Darlington, said: “I am worried about my brother and sister. They come to mine sometimes to get warm in my flat.”
“They will have to make cutbacks,” the 77-year-old admitted.
Jean, 84, added: “I think it comes down to circumstances. I think people just want to know how they stand. I think it’s about trying to understand the situation.
Thankfully, the team at Age UK in Darlington will be on hand to offer support and help to the elderly, whether that’s through free impartial advice, respite, or hot meals.
The site will also be supporting pensioners through the winter by acting as a warm hub, meaning people can visit all day if they need a place to chat, eat, and drink.
Barbara C, from Northallerton, added: “We enjoy every day here. The staff are lovely, it’s a really nice place.”
Fiery debate
19 North East Labour MPs voted to scrap winter fuel payments for pensioners on Tuesday, while six others dodged the vote.
MPs voted 348 to 228 against the Tory motion - with the region’s only Tory MP Matt Vickers voting to keep the allowance.
There were 53 abstentions by Labour MPs who decided not to vote either way.
These included Mary Kelly Foy (City of Durham), Ian Lavery (Blyth and Ashington), Kate Osborne (Jarrow and Gateshead East), Emma Lewell-Buck (South Shields), Andy McDonald (Middlesbrough and Thornaby East) and Grahame Morris (Easington).
Age UK is advising the Government to instead adopt Martin Lewis's proposal to extend the payment to all state pension-age residents in Council Tax Bands A-D.
Concerns have been highlighted over a “worrying shortfall” in take-up of Pension Credit, the new qualifying benefit for the Winter Fuel Payment.
Only 63 per cent of eligible pensioners claim it, leaving two million older people who desperately need support in danger of missing out - and sparking fears of a growing number of old people enduring cold homes this winter.
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Lola McEvoy, Labour MP for Darlington, who is supporting the Government, said: "Labour were elected on a promise of sound public finances - the bedrock required in order to grow our economy and restore our public services.
“Unfortunately, the Conservatives recklessly left a £22bn black hole in their spending plans and tried to hide it.
“As the incoming Government, it is our responsibility to fix this, even though it requires making painful choices.”
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