Labour Faces Backlash Over Winter Fuel Payment Cuts

Delegates at Labour's annual conference vote to reverse means-testing policy, intensifying pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Labour conference delegates voted to oppose the Government’s decision to means-test winter fuel payments, though the vote is non-binding.
The policy change will strip the allowance from around 10 million pensioners, restricting it to those on pension credit or other means-tested benefits.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer defended the cuts as necessary to address a £22 billion funding shortfall left by the previous Conservative government.
Union leaders, including Unite's Sharon Graham, criticized the policy, arguing it disproportionately affects low-income pensioners and contradicts Labour’s promises of economic equality.
Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall stated that the Labour Government has done more for the poorest pensioners in two months than the Tories did in 14 years, emphasizing a focus on pension credit and the pensions triple lock.