I never thought I would ever quote him, let alone agree with him, but in a recent Facebook post, Jeremy Corbyn said: “Politics is about choices - and the government is choosing to inflict pain and poverty across the country.” He is right!
The new Chancellor hopes to raise £1.5bn to ‘fix the nation’s finances’ by removing pensioners' automatic right to the Winter Fuel Allowance. However, with 800,000 pensioners currently eligible for Pension Credits and not claiming them, that saving will disappear as more pensioners claim entitled benefits. According to Age UK, one in three pensioners eligible for the benefit doesnt’t claim it - missing out on an average top up of £2,200 a year!
If all 800,000 claimed, it would cost the treasury £1.76 billion and those people would also claim Winter Fuel payments – another £200 million! Easy to see that this is a false economy! It’s also heartless as those pensioners who aren’t eligible for a top up, could still be facing real hardship.
Many elderly people are asset rich and cash poor. They may own their own home, but they have very little disposable money. They are particularly vulnerable because they are not eligible for benefits but are certainly not able to lead ‘comfortable’ lives. Their wellbeing is threatened by the need to choose between food and fuel in the colder, damper months and they are going to be more reliant on support services.
Women are particularly vulnerable in this age group as many relied on their husband’s pensions for support and have very little of their own financial security. Increasing daily expenditure is worrying and adds to the anxiety, fear and depression that inevitably affects their mental and physical health.
It is in the interests of the whole country that our pensioners stay fit and well. Pressure on Adult Services across the country is growing at a fast rate. Swindon is no exception and we should be doing all we can to help elderly residents stay independent for as long as possible. Being cold or hungry (for many that will be the choice), will lead to poor health and constitute a risk to that fierce determination to remain independent! [Anchor]
In the short term, cutting winter fuel payments to over 28,000 pensioners (almost 20% of our Swindon population) will be devastating and in the longer term, may prove to be expensive to the public purse.
Agreeing with Jeremy Corbyn is alien to me but ‘Politics IS about choice’. The new Labour Government need to get better at choosing whom they penalise in their quest to save money.
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