MPs have approved plans to axe Winter Fuel Payments to millions of older households.
Politicians approved the measure despite recent research finding five out of every six pensioners living the below the poverty line will lose the support.
Age UK now estimate that at least 2.5m pensioners will suffer hardship as a result.
MPs who backed the cut have claimed that the Household Support Fund could pick up the slack, but this will involve local authorities removing the HSF help from other groups struggling with the cost of living.
A spokesperson for the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, commented:
“MPs have made the dangerous decision to condemn some of the most vulnerable pensioners to living in cold damp homes this winter.
“Many pensioners in poverty will now see energy bills higher than they have ever experienced in their lives.
“Parliamentarians and ministers should examine their conscience and the deluge of correspondence they have had on this issue from worried pensioners and back ways to mitigate the pain of the cut.
“We and others have given the government a number of ways they can target extra support to those pensioners most in need. One clear solution would be to extend eligibility to those on other forms of benefit and making more support available to vulnerable pensioners.
“But the Treasury could also look at a more comprehensive system of support for all of those living in cold damp homes, such as an emergency energy tariff or reform and expansion of the Cold Weather Payment system.”
Caroline Simpson, spokesperson for the Warm This Winter campaign commented
“The government needs to commit to keeping everybody warm this winter. Many people back some form of means testing for the Winter Fuel Payment, but scrapping it for all at short notice carries a very real risk of putting millions of vulnerable pensioners in harm’s way.
“While we back the government’s plans to prioritise home insulation which is the long term way to bring down everyone’s bills for good, no one should be forced to live in a cold damp home this winter.”
Caroline Abrahams CBE, Charity Director at Age UK added:
“We’re deeply disappointed, but not surprised, that the vote to brutally means-test Winter Fuel Payment was passed today. As soon as the Government announced it was instructing its MPs to support it this was the inevitable result, but we would like to thank all those in every party who voted against the policy or abstained.
“There’s been a lot of discussion about the Government’s decision, but at heart Age UK’s critique of their policy is really simple: we just don’t think it’s fair to remove the payment from the 2.5 million pensioners on low incomes who badly need it, and to do it so quickly this winter, at the same time as energy bills are rising by 10%.
“It is crystal clear that there is insufficient time to make any serious impact on the miserably low take-up of Pension Credit before the cold sets in this autumn, and the Government has brought forward no effective measures to support all those whose tiny occupational pensions take them just above the line to claim. It’s true they have agreed to extend the Household Support Fund until April and they deserve some credit for that, but the HSF is an all-age fund that you have to apply for, so we know it will only help a small proportion of all the pensioners who will be in need as a result of their policy change.
“The Government has also tried to suggest that the increase in State Pension for older people next year as a result of the Triple Lock means there’s no need to worry about how they will cope now, but that won’t help anyone this winter and most pensioners will not benefit to the extent being suggested – either because they are on the old State Pension which attracts less of an increase, or because they don’t qualify for a full State Pension in the first place.
“The reality is that driving through this policy as the Government is doing will make millions of poor pensioners poorer still and we are baffled as to why some Ministers are asserting that this is the right thing to do. We and many others are certain that it is not, and that’s why we will continue to stand with the pensioners who can’t afford to lose their payment and campaign for them to be given more Government support.
“Meanwhile, winter is coming and we fear it will be a deeply challenging one for millions of older people who have previously relied on their Winter Fuel Payment to help pay their energy bills and who have no obvious alternative source of funds on which to draw. As a charity we will do everything we can to help them, but with so many in need and no extra support on offer from the Government at the moment it’s looking like an incredibly uphill task.”