Despite some encouraging notes in the recent budget, including a big increase in NHS spending, there was nothing to reassure pensioners currently facing a tough winter of financial insecurity.
The NPC and campaign organisations across the UK have been calling for the Chancellor to change her decision announced this summer to cut the £200 to £300 fuel payments to help with around ten million older people’s heating bills this winter.
But there was no mention in the Chancellor’s debut speech of the winter fuel payment cuts.
In fact, she repeated the misleading suggestion that 12 million pensioner’s would be compensated by up to £470 a year rise in their state pension to 4.1 per cent.
But of course, only a quarter, or three million people, will see a £470 increase, because the other nine million are on the older (pre-2016), and much lower, pension.
Also, the pension increase will not be paid until next April, after older people have received their highest energy bills of the coming winter.
We had hoped the government would include at least some kind of help to offset the loss of the winter fuel payment, even if they did not reverse the cuts.
So, it is deeply disappointing that the Chancellor again chose to side-step a very serious issue for millions of older people.
But this is not the end, the NPC will not stop highlighting the disaster that awaits our oldest and most vulnerable if the government does not address the problem.
NPC general secretary Jan Shortt said there are some hopeful points in the Budget:
●The widened eligibility for the allowance paid to full-time carers, by increasing the maximum earnings threshold from £151 to £195 a week.
●A £22.6bn increase in the day-to-day health budget, and £3.1bn increase in the NHS capital budget.
●A £3.4bn for the warm homes plan to upgrade buildings, to help lower energy bills.
She added: “However, the promise to unfreeze personal tax thresholds, important for those pensioners who are being pushed into paying tax for the first time, won’t happen until 2028-29. We could do with it next spring or sooner.”
The Warm Homes Plan will take many years to show effective change, whilst some of our most vulnerable will go cold this winter and must choose between heating or eating.
“Most critically, the £1.3bn additional grant funding for local government is welcome, but the £600m earmarked for social care is a drop in the ocean. It is nowhere near enough to tackle the crisis in care.
“The devil is always in the details and we will be examining the Chancellor’s Budget more closely in the coming days,” she added.
Rodney Sadd
Crowland
