West Worcestershire MP Dame Harriett Baldwin has slammed a decision which will snatch support helping 10 million pensioners with their heating bills.

The Labour Chancellor has withdrawn the winter fuel support payment which allows older people to keep their heating running during times of cold weather.

There are 18,507 pensioners in West Worcestershire and 6,234 people aged over 80 many of whom  will be put at serious risk of the cold weather when the decision kicks in this winter.

The MP has strongly opposed the political decision to take support away from some of the most vulnerable people in society.

Dame Harriett said:

“This is a chilling political choice to withdraw support from older people on low incomes. The last Conservative Government took unprecedented steps to help people with their energy bills over the last couple of years and the first thing a Labour Chancellor does is pull the rug from under all but the very poorest pensioners.  This means pensioners on a low income will see a substantial cut in their resources.

“Thousands of people in West Worcestershire will be affected by this decision and during the winter, I get many complaints that people in rural areas with older, less energy efficient homes are having to pay much more to keep warm.

“It is clear to me and now, I think clear to everyone, that the newly elected Government wants to raise taxes so they can splash the cash on funding pay rises in the public sector.  I am shocked by the political choice that the Chancellor has made to balance the books on the backs of pensioners on relatively low incomes.”