With 1.9m older people living in poverty, the MP for York Central has been a persistent campaigner on the Winter Fuel Payments. After nearly a year of making the case for the restoration of the payments for those who experience fuel poverty, not least as the energy price cap has risen 3 times since by £281 in all, the MP is pleased that the Government have responded by restoring the payments to those with income less than £35,000.
When introduced by the last Labour Government in 1997 the winter fuel payments covered nearly a third of household energy costs, or half for those over 80 years old. Today it is just over a tenth leaving around 2m pensioners in fuel poverty. This means that not only do people that really need their heating use it sparsely, but many try and survive the winter wrapping themselves in duvets and blankets. Tragically it is believed that around 5,000 people die of the cold in the UK each year. Cases of hypothermia have been identified in York, while others are more at risk of winter viruses, heart attack or stroke.
No-one should be left in fuel poverty in 2025, and this is why the MP is calling on Government to review the value of the Winter Fuel Payment and believes that the energy giants should be taxed to contribute to the payment rather than profiteering from customers. The energy companies, according to the End Fuel Poverty Coalition have made £500bn in profit since the start of the energy crisis (£207bn since 2020). Restoration of the Winter Fuel Payments would cost £1.2bn.
Further the MP calls that no-one should be forced onto a pre-payment meter where energy costs are higher, often hitting the poorest customers most.
Rachael Maskell MP says:
“It is really welcome that this Labour Government has restored the Winter Fuel Payments to older people who have an income below £35,000, which will benefit around 9 million pensioners. However, I now call on the Government to review the value of the payments. While determined to cut energy bills in this Parliament and decarbonise energy to lower cost renewable energy, the relative value of the Winter Fuel Payments has fallen significantly since its introduction and so many pensioners may still find themselves in fuel poverty despite getting the Winter Fuel Payment this winter.”