During the first Prime Minister’s Questions following the summer break, the head of the opposition Conservative party criticized the government for removing winter fuel payments from retirees who are not eligible for pension credits, while at the same time authorizing pay increases for public sector employees.
“The new prime minister has made a choice,” stated Mr. Sunak. “Government is about making choices.”
“He has made the decision to deny low-income pensioners their winter fuel subsidy in favor of giving the money to specific unionized workforces and inflation-beating salary increases.
London train drivers, who make, on average, little under £60,000 year, are set to receive a backdated 5% pay increase.
In response, the prime minister remarked that the government was chosen “to clear up the mess left by the party opposite” and that it was pointless for them to be moaning now that the government had discovered a “£22 billion black hole.”
He stated, “As a result, we’ve had to make difficult choices to stabilize the policy and undo the harm, including focusing on winter fuel payments while safeguarding pensioners.”
