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30
Aug
20,000 pensioners in Harrogate and Knaresborough could be hit by winter fuel cut, says MP
Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Tom Gordon has backed a parliamentary motion to block government plans to scrap winter fuel payments for most pensioners.
Mr Gordon said about 20,000 pensioners in his constituency were at risk of losing the £300 payment, which helps with heating bills in winter.
The Liberal Democrat said this was the estimated number of pensioners in the constituency who don't receive pension credit, and so will lose the winter fuel allowance under the government’s plans unless they receive other benefits.
He added the figures were compiled by the House of Commons Library based on data from the Department for Work and Pensions.
The Liberal Democrat motion, which is set to be tabled when parliament returns next week, is supported by all of the party’s 72 MPs.
The motion aims to block the government’s proposed change, but as Labour holds a majority of 174 seats it is unlikely to succeed.
Mr Gordon said:
I’ve heard from countless pensioners across Harrogate and Knaresborough worried about losing this vital support and how they will afford their energy bills this winter. Stripping support from many of the poorest pensioners in Harrogate and Knaresborough just when energy bills are set to rise again is simply wrong. It could force vulnerable elderly people in our community to choose between eating and heating this winter.
That is why my fellow Liberal Democrat MPs and I will do everything we can to block these plans as soon as parliament returns. I recognise that the new government faces difficult choices after the appalling mess left by the Conservatives. But a rethink is urgently needed so that poorer and vulnerable pensioners in our community continue to get the support they so desperately need.
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