The Winter Fuel Payment goes a long way in helping Londoners cover the cost of their heating in winter.
Age UK helps many older Londoners and provides support, not just in London, but at a national level, and this is something to which the Assembly pays tribute.
The London Assembly is today calling on the Mayor to support Age UK’s campaign to fully reinstate the Winter Fuel Payment and its work in continuing to help older people who are living in poverty or just above the poverty line.
Alessandro Georgiou AM, who proposed the motion, said:
"The Winter Fuel Payment plays a crucial role in helping older Londoners keep warm during the cold months.
“The Government's decision to scrap this vital support for vulnerable pensioners is deeply concerning, especially as so many rely on it to cover their heating costs.
“I thank Age UK for the work they do to advocate for our elderly, and I urge the Mayor to stand with Age UK and support their campaign for the Chancellor to fully reinstate the Winter Fuel Payment, so no older Londoner is left struggling to stay warm this winter."
Hina Bokhari AM, who seconded the motion, said:
“Winter Fuel Payments play a vital role in helping many old Londoners throughout winter. With up to 10 million pensioners losing their payments this winter under current Government plans, we are calling on the Mayor to support Age UK’s campaign to fully reinstate the Winter Fuel Payment.
“Age UK have been running a fantastic campaign on calling for the Government to reverse its scrapping of the Winter Fuel Payment for pensioners and we pay tribute to all the work they do.”
The full text of the motion is:
This Assembly recognises that the Winter Fuel Payment plays a vital role in helping many older Londoners cover the cost of their heating in winter.
This Assembly believes that, whilst the Government recently announced it would be scrapping the Winter Fuel Payment for pensioners not in receipt of Pension Credit, what hasn’t changed is the tremendous effort of Age UK to continue campaigning on this issue. This Assembly pays tribute to the fantastic work that Age UK do.
This Assembly notes that the Winter Fuel Payment, which is an annual tax-free payment for households, or someone born on or before 22 September 1958, goes a long way in helping Londoners cover the cost of their heating in winter.
According to Government data, 11.4 million individuals received a Winter Fuel Payment from the Department for Work and Pensions in the winter to 2023, and it is anticipated that as many as 10 million pensioners will lose their payments under the new plans.
Despite this, Age UK have continued to play a hugely influential role in helping many older Londoners mitigate these changes. Ageing is not an illness, but it can be challenging, and the services and support that Age UK provides, not just in London, but at a national level, is something to which this Assembly pays tribute.
Therefore, this Assembly calls on the Mayor to support Age UK’s campaign to fully reinstate the Winter Fuel Payment and to support Age UK’s work in continuing to help older people who are living in poverty or just above the poverty line in London.
The meeting can also be viewed via webcast or YouTube.
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Notes to editors
- The motion was agreed by 12 votes for and 0 votes against
- Alessandro Georgiou AM, who proposed the motion, is available for interviews.
- As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor
For more details, please contact Alison Bell in the Assembly Media Office on 07887 832 918. For out of hours media enquiries please call 020 7983 4000 and ask for the Assembly duty press officer.