After receiving criticism from lawmakers and charitable organizations following the policy’s passage on Tuesday, Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook declared that cutting off the winter fuel subsidy for approximately 10 million retirees is “the right decision to make”.
On Sky News Breakfast, he stated to Kay Burley, “We won’t soften that position.
“We believe that this is the proper course of action. We made this decision with great sadness. We all didn’t think we would do it.
“As you are aware, we found £22 billion in unmet spending commitments when we took government. The pressures of underfunded spending during the year are substantial.”
This winter, a payment of up to £300 will be made exclusively to pensioners who claim pension credit, to assist with rising heating costs. It was previously given to all pensioners.
Of the Labour MPs, 53 abstained from voting, while one, Jon Trickett, voted against the government on the grounds that he “could not in good conscience vote to make my constituents poorer”.
These abstentions do not always mean that every MP abstained; after all, they might have been given permission to skip a vote.
