Unions have piled the pressure on Starmer over the Labour government’s ‘cruel’ plan to axe winter fuel payments for 10 million people today.
Meanwhile a poll revealed that half of elderly Brits will now heat their homes less despite the Chancellor Rachel Reeves insisting pensioners will be £1,700 better off.
The poll comes before MPs will vote this afternoon on the Government’s controversial cut, which critics have warned will force millions of older people to turn down their heating this winter.
Sir Keir Starmer is expected to use his huge Commons majority to force through the measure, despite protests by dozens of Labour MPs who fear a huge electoral backlash.
Meanwhile, Union barons accused ministers of ‘picking pensioners’ pockets’. In an ominous intervention, the Unite union urged Sir Keir to abandon the ‘very cruel’ policy.
Tory work and pensions spokesman Mel Stride urged Labour to listen to their constituents.
Throwing down the gauntlet to Labour MPs, he said: ‘Do as you said you would and put the country before your party. Vote with us in Parliament, not against us.
‘Change course and reverse your cruel choice to remove the winter fuel payment from millions of vulnerable pensioners.
‘Many driven into fuel poverty this winter will have to choose between heating and eating because of Starmer. And, if Labour MPs let this abhorrent policy go through, it will be because of them too.’
Rachel Reeves last night told panicking Labour MPs she would not back down – and suggested pensioners could afford to tighten their belts this winter following a big rise in the state pension.
The Chancellor said she did not ‘relish’ the cut, but warned there would be ‘more difficult decisions to come’ in next month’s Budget.
Ministers have refused to publish an assessment of the likely impact of the cut, which will save £1.5 billion a year.
The Mail revealed yesterday that research commissioned by Labour in 2017 warned that means-testing the benefit, which is worth up to £300, would lead to almost 4,000 extra deaths each winter as pensioners struggled to keep the heat on.
A new assessment by the Resolution Foundation think-tank yesterday warned that 1.3 million of the poorest pensioners would be driven deeper into poverty by the move.
Former Labour frontbencher Richard Burgon said the plan ‘will result in the death of pensioners who won’t be able to turn the heating on’.
Unite union boss Sharon Graham called on ministers to abandon the plans and introduce a wealth tax.
Ms Graham, whose union is one of Labour’s biggest donors, accused the Government of deciding to ‘pick the pocket of pensioners’ while leaving the richest ‘totally untouched’.
She urged Sir Keir to ‘do a U-turn, adding: ‘We need to make sure that he is making the right choices and leadership is about choices. He needs to be big enough and brave enough to do a U-turn on this choice. It’s completely wrong.’
Paul Nowak, TUC general secretary, told BBC Breakfast he was ‘really concerned’ by the impact and urged a rethink.
‘I hope in the Budget the Chancellor will set out support available for pensioners who aren’t on pension or tax credit, but who are not well off by any means, to make sure that they are not frightened to turn on the heating this winter,’ he said.
Home Office minister Dame Diana Johnson said she was ‘absolutely confident’ that the Treasury was looking at ways to reduce the impact of the cash grab, including restricting the winter fuel payment to those living in homes valued at council tax bands A to C.
But she was slapped down by a government source who said she ‘misspoke’ and insisted there were no plans for change.
Addressing a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party last night, Ms Reeves said she was not ‘immune’ to arguments against the plan, but she had ‘considered those when the decision was made’.
The Chancellor said the ‘blame lies with the Conservative Party’ for leaving behind a ‘black hole’ in the public finances.
Ms Reeves said the state pension had risen by £900 this year as a result of the triple lock, meaning that ‘pensioners have £900 more in their pockets than they did a year ago’ – meaning they could afford the cut to winter fuel.
She also insisted ministers were serious about encouraging an estimated 800,000 of the poorest pensioners to claim Pension Credit, which will entitle them to keep the winter fuel payment.
New figures suggest applications have more than doubled since Ms Reeves announced her plans in July, but are still running at only around 9,000 a week.
The Daily Telegraph reported yesterday that according to Ms Reeves pensioners will be £1,700 better off under the new Labour government.
According to the Treasury over the next five years the state pension will rise due to the triple lock.
However, in the short term a poll has revealed more than half of pensioners will heat their homes less due to the winter fuel payment cut, a poll has revealed.
Some 55 per cent said the move to strip ten million voters of the subsidy will cause them to have a colder winter this year.
The Savanta survey, commissioned by the Liberal Democrats, showed that four in ten elderly people are planning to cut back on essentials. And 19 per cent – almost one in five – will eat less this winter to save money.
Three-quarters of respondents said they would be impacted by the planned changes to the winter fuel allowance, while just a fifth think they will avoid any negative effects.
Calling on Sir Keir Starmer to rethink the cut, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said the poll showed that the Government is forcing pensioners to make the ‘heartbreaking choice between heating and eating this winter’.
Economists have warned that the savings from the winter fuel cut would be wiped out if all older people entitled to Pension Credit started claiming it.
Downing Street declined to say whether those who refuse to back the Government will lose the Labour whip.
Some 17 have signed a Commons motion calling for a rethink, while dozens more are privately opposed. No 10 said there had been no dissent at Cabinet over the plans yesterday.