Sir Keir Starmer was yesterday accused of plotting to strip pensioners of their cold weather payments long before last month’s general election.
The Tories’ energy spokesman Claire Coutinho said the Prime Minister effectively deceived the public by failing to mention the issue in Labour’s manifesto.
By contrast, the party pledged to maintain winter fuel payments for the vast majority of pensioners in its previous four manifestos.
It came as the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) was accused of deliberately making the official form which allows pensioners to keep their payments ‘inaccessible’.
Pensioners face having to answer 243 questions, including: ‘Does your partner agree to your application?’
Ms Coutinho posted on X, formerly Twitter: ‘Starmer says he ‘didn’t want to means-test the winter fuel payment’. But look at past Labour manifestos: In 2010, 2015, 2017 & 2019 they mention the WFP. In 2024 they were silent.
‘They planned this before the election. They chose not to give pensioners time to prepare.’
Labour’s manifesto ahead of last month’s election simply said: ‘The last Labour government lifted over half a million children and over a million pensioners out of poverty.
‘That progress transformed life chances and ensured security in retirement. The next Labour government will build on that legacy of pursuing opportunity and social justice.’ But it did not specifically mention winter fuel payments.
In 2010 its manifesto pledged to ‘continue to provide help to pensioners, with the winter fuel payments’.
In 2015 the party said it would cut the payments for only ‘the richest 5 per cent’ but keep them for most pensioners, while in 2017 and 2019 it ‘guaranteed’ to keep them as ‘universal’ benefits.
Sir Keir’s administration has been hit with a major backlash, including from within his own party, over its plans, which would see as many as ten million pensioners stripped of the support payments.
Some 11.4million pensioners receive winter fuel payments ranging from £100 to £300. Under Labour’s means-testing approach, which will kick in from this winter, only those who qualify for pension credit and similar benefits will still be able to claim it.
It comes just as energy bills go up by around £150 for the average household this winter.
Campaigners have warned that there are as many as two million pensioners who narrowly don’t qualify for pension credit and who will be forced to choose between ‘heating or eating’ this winter.
On Tuesday the PM said he didn’t want to scrap the winter fuel allowance to save an estimated £1.5billion a year. But he claimed he was given no choice because the Tories left a £22billion ‘black hole’ in the economy.
Yesterday campaigners said the 22-page form which pensioners must fill out to apply for pension credit was ‘challenging’, putting people off making claims.
Caroline Abrahams, charity director of Age UK, said: ‘The form has 243 boxes to navigate. It is not particularly long or complex as claim forms go, but completing it would still pose a challenge for many of us, including many older people with no one to help them.’
Joanna Elson, chief executive of Independent Age, told The Daily Telegraph: ‘Some older people are put off claiming due to the inaccessibility and length of the form.’
A Government spokesman said: ‘We are committed to supporting pensioners and giving them the dignity and security they deserve in retirement.
‘But given the dire state of the public finances we have inherited, it’s right that we target support to those who need it most.’