‘Deeply concerning’ that Winter Fuel Payment Policy will push up to 100,000 older people into poverty

Older People’s Commissioner for Wales, Rhian Bowen-Davies, said:

“It is deeply concerning that the decision to means test the Winter Fuel Payment will result in 50,000 older people immediately being pushed into poverty, with this figure set to rise to 100,000 within just a few years, as confirmed by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

“Perhaps more concerning is the fact that the government made the decision to implement this policy knowing the effect it would have on older people and ignoring clear warnings about the harm it would cause.

“The impact of poverty on people’s health and well-being is well known, something that can become more severe as we get older.

“But more than that, we must not forget what poverty really means in terms of older people’s day-to-day lives.

“It means living in a cold home and cutting back on essentials. It means missing meals and having to rely on food banks. And it means being unable to afford to do the things that matter, the things that people enjoy, increasing the risk of loneliness and social isolation.

“All of these issues make it more likely that older people will find themselves in need of care and support, adding avoidable costs and pressures to already stretched public services.

“The recent cold weather has provided a stark reminder of why being able to heat our homes and stay warm is so important. So it is vital that the UK Government responds to calls for action to mitigate the impact of this policy – by providing additional financial support to those at risk of being pushed into or further into poverty, for example – so that these damning figures, and what they represent, do not become reality.”