Cost of Living: Support for Pensioners

The Oral Question session in the House of Commons focused on the fiscal steps the government is taking to support pensioners with the cost of living. Several Liberal Democrat MPs, including Helen Morgan (North Shropshire), Steve Darling (Torbay), and Caroline Voaden (South Devon), asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, about this issue. In her response, the Chancellor stated that the government supports the triple lock, which has resulted in the state pension being worth £900 more than it was a year ago. She explained that the state pension will go up again in April by the highest of inflation, average wage growth, or 2.5%, and that this commitment is for the duration of the current Parliament. The Chancellor also highlighted that pensioners will continue to benefit from free eye tests, free prescriptions, and free bus passes, and that those in need will receive winter fuel payments alongside pension credit. Helen Morgan expressed concern that nearly 22,000 pensioners in her North Shropshire constituency are forecast to lose their winter fuel payments, just as energy prices are set to rise significantly. She acknowledged the difficult choices the Chancellor has to make but urged her to consider that the broadest shoulders are not those of pensioners earning less than the minimum wage. In response, the Chancellor explained that the decision to make the winter fuel payment better targeted will save around £1.5 billion a year to support public finances, as the government had inherited a £22 billion black hole from the previous administration. Steve Darling, the MP for Torbay, echoed the concerns about the impact of the winter fuel payment cuts on his constituents, with almost 90% of pensioners in Devon and Cornwall affected. He asked the Chancellor for assurances that the government will support the most vulnerable and, if the measures fail, whether she will scrap the proposal. The Chancellor acknowledged the hon. Gentleman's concerns and stated that the government is taking action to encourage the uptake of pension credit to ensure that the poorest pensioners are receiving the support they are entitled to. Caroline Voaden, the MP for South Devon, highlighted the high number of pensioners in her constituency, many of whom are living in fuel poverty, and asked the Chancellor to spell out how she plans to tackle this issue. The Chancellor reiterated the government's commitment to insulate an additional 5 million homes during this Parliament to help reduce energy bills and keep homes warmer. Other interventions included a question from Sam Rushworth, the MP for Bishop Auckland, about the specific challenges faced by pensioners in the snowiest village in England, and a question from Peter Swallow, the MP for Bracknell, about the damage done to pensioners' livelihoods by the previous government's economic incompetence. The Chancellor addressed these concerns and emphasized the government's commitment to fixing the foundations of the economy and ensuring that working people are better off.