The Tories are facing a backlash after a clip posted to pull at social media users’ heartstrings appeared to show wealthy pensioners complaining about winter fuel cuts
Conservatives release ‘Keep Winter Fuel’ video
The Tories have been mocked over a video attacking Labour’s cuts to winter fuel payments amid claims it features wealthy pensioners.
The party attempted to pull at social media users’ heartstrings, showing struggling pensioners fearing the impact of the £300 winter fuel allowance cut. Emotional music played in the background as retirees spoke of their worry that winter will be “extremely difficult” without the lifeline payment.
In the three minute and 40 second video, one former teacher said she plays tennis and lives in a lively community as she sat beside a piano and praised the former Tory government. Another, who made herself a coffee with a Bosch Tassimo coffee machine, said the allowance was “literally life-saving”.
A male pensioner who appeared to be wearing a Rolex watch said he was worried about finding savings elsewhere.
But social media users tore into the video, arguing that the pensioners appeared not to be struggling with funds. One said: “The look of these houses, their clothes, having a piano in a house, pets, the sofas, coffee machines, gardens, suggest to me that these pensioners look like they could afford the bills for the winter.” Another added: “Imagine being forced to choose between heating or playing tennis at the club….”
Another user said: “I think the gold Rolex belittles your claims that these pensioners will struggle. Can we assume that next week’s video will show a parent dropping their child at Eton in a Rolls Royce, whilst complaining about the VAT they will have to pay?” And another added: “Yes the pensioner who struggles to heat their own home but has enough money to buy a Rolex watch.”
The Government’s plan to remove the £300 payment for 10 million pensioners has faced criticism from charities and the public. Labour decided to end the previously universal scheme to stop rich pensioners having access to the payment. It will instead means-tested the allowance, with the only the poorest pensioners getting access to it. But Charity Age UK has warned some 2.5 million struggling pensioners could now miss out because while their income is above the threshold, it is still low.
MPs from across parties on Monday said they were “really, really worried” about the winter fuel payment cuts during Work and Pensions questions in the Commons. Labour MP Debbie Abrahams and chairwoman of the Work and Pensions Committee raised “genuine concerns about those people who are just above that threshold but still remain in poverty”.
Fellow Labour MP Rachael Maskell added: “We are really, really worried now, as winter is approaching, about the impact this is going to have, particularly on the health of older people.”
Lib Dem work and pensions spokesman Steve Darling described the winter fuel cuts as a “regressive approach” that will “add insult to injury” for pensioners. He told the Commons: “There are 2.7 million pensioners who are over the age of 80 and would be benefiting from the £300 winter fuel allowance. These are among the most vulnerable in our society, and you are quite right how the previous government let them down, but let us not add insult to injury and have the new Government let them down.”
Tory MP Blake Stephenson said the Government is creating a “black hole” in pensioners’ household finances by cutting the payments, while Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride pointed to Labour research from 2017 that suggested around 4,000 pensioners would die prematurely if the cuts were introduced.
Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall told the Commons the change was “not a decision that we wanted or expected to make”. She went on: “The reason we have done it is that we have to deal with the £22billion blackhole in the public finances left by members opposite, but in doing so we will, as a progressive party, always prioritise the very poorest pensioners and that is why we are so determined to end a situation where up to 880,000 miss out on winter fuel because they are not getting Pension Credit, and we are determined to put that right.”
