Merseyside pensioners protest against cuts to winter fuel allowance

Protesters are angry about cuts to the winter fuel allowance Credit: Liverpool Echo

Pensioners have braved torrential rain outside the Labour Party conference in Liverpool to voice their anger over the government's cuts to the winter fuel allowance.While Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves made her big conference speech, dozens of pensioners waved placards and chanted "winter fuel cut go away, tax the rich and make them pay".

Protesters gathered outside the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool

One placard read: "Scouse pensioners have warm hearts. Starmer's heart is cold as ice. Labour not welcome in Liverpool."In July, the chancellor announced plans to scrap winter fuel payments for around 10 million pensioners. The hugely controversial move means that all pensioners aside from those in receipt of pension credit or other means-tested benefits will no longer get winter fuel payments worth between £100 and £300.

Anne San, 67, from Merseyside Pensioners' Organisation, said: "We may be old, but we don't want to be cold."Anne continued: "We need to protect our elderly. These are people who have worked all their lives, people who are older than me have gone though wars. They shouldn't have to struggle at this time of life, worrying about whether to heat or eat."It's appalling - the Labour government has done everyone a disservice. Why doesn't he do something about the billions that isn't paid in tax by these big corporations? You can't be hitting back at the most vulnerable and the old. It's just so wrong."

Protesters braved the rain in Liverpool to get their point across Credit: Liverpool Echo

Many people at the protest said they had "always voted Labour" but won't be doing so again, as a result of the winter fuel allowance policy.Susan Robinson, 66, from Kensington Fields Community Association, said " I voted Labour because I thought they would show us compassion, but I don't think they're showing us any compassion whatsoever."I dread to think of the impact on people. As if things aren't hard enough for people at the moment. I think it's making it ten times harder for them. We have to support one another on this."Ron Cooper, 74, from Skelmersdale said he was "disgusted" when he learned about the scrapping of the winter fuel payment. "I'm spending a lot of time looking at my electric meter, and it's just clocking up. Pensions at the moment for the UK are atrocious. It's nothing like it should be. And now they're taking money away. I'm going to recommend to any pensioner: look first before you vote Labour. Because they're not the party we knew when we were younger, or the party our parents voted for."

Pensioners gathered in Liverpool to protest against changes Credit: Liverpool Echo

Today's protest was organised by the union Unite. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “The savings made from scrapping the winter fuel allowance for millions of pensioners are small change when it comes to securing the public finances."Instead of depriving elderly people of warmth this winter, Labour should be introducing legislation to tax the very wealthiest in our country. They certainly won’t be worried about putting the fire on in December.“Unite research shows that the richest 50 families in Britain are worth more than the combined assets of half the population. A one per cent tax on the richest one per cent would bring in £25 billion.

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