POWYS councillors are to write to the UK Government calling for her to pause plans to means test pensioners for winter fuel payments.

The letter to the UK's Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves will also ask her to consider a fairer way of deciding eligibility other than linking it to receipt of pension credits.

The motion on winter fuel payments was hotly debated by Powys councillors at a council meeting on Thursday, October 3.

The final version of the motion was a compromise after amendments were put forward by deputy council leader Cllr Matthew Dorrance, who stood for Labour in Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe in July's General Election.

The original motion had also asked all council group leaders to sign a letter asking Ms Reeves to suspend and review the controversial decision.

Cllr Glyn PrestonCllr Glyn Preston

The final part of the original motion was to ask the council to mount a “comprehensive awareness campaign” to make sure all pensioners in Powys know what support they can get.

The proposal had been put forward by Liberal Democrat Cllr Glyn Preston and seconded by Conservative Cllr Iain McIntosh.

Cllr Preston said: “Both the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives put forward a motion on the winter fuel allowance.


READ MORE: What is a winter fuel payment?


 

“We decided it would be better for us to work together on a common motion on this issue.

“An unholy alliance it might be, but cross party working is a good thing.”

Figures in the motion say that 31,148 pensioners in Powys will be affected by the change.

Cllr Preston added that Powys has the second highest annual costs to heat a home in the UK.

Cllr Preston said: “I have been contacted by numerous residents since the UK Goverment announcement whose income is just above the pension credit threshold, they would not be considered to be well off but are set to miss out.

“There are many who are already fearful of having to choose between heating and eating.

“The Labour government has got this badly wrong.”


READ MORE: Powys MP votes in favour of winter fuel payment cuts


Conservative group leader Cllr Aled Davies told councillors that he had asked for Liberal Democrat council leader Cllr James Gibson-Watt and deputy leader Cllr Dorrance to make representations to the UK Government about the issue.

Cllr Dorrance put forward changes to the motion and pointed out the Labour government had inherited a £22 billion financial black hole.

Cllr Dorrance said: “Unless the UK Government stabilises the economy we will be forced to make these decisions.

Cllr Matthew DorranceCllr Matthew Dorrance “The previous UK government made commitments they could not pay for.

“That’s why we’ve arrived where we are, and it’s disappointing that colleagues around the chamber pretend that’s not the reality.”

The amendment was seconded by finance portfolio holder Labour’s Cllr David Thomas.

The amended motion took the place of the original and was agreed with 57 councillors voting for it, one councillor voted against and one abstained.