Agenda item - Save the Winter Fuel Payment

1)     That the petition is noted.

54.1    The Mayor invited Dave Hill and Anne Pissaridou to join the meeting and present the petition for debate titled ‘Save the Winter Fuel Payment’ which had received 1266 signatures at the time the agenda was published.

54.2    The Mayor invited Councillor Alexander, Cabinet Member for Culture, Heritage and Tourism to reply.

54.3    Councillor Alexander replied:

So I’m responding to your petition as Chair of our new Poverty Reduction Steering Group. I do want to thank you for your petition calling for the Council to lobby the Government to reverse the decision to remove the Winter Fuel Payment from those not in receipt of Pension Credits. However, we do understand the severe challenges that the government has with the national finances and we, like yourself, were concerned that some pensioners in our city may be negatively impacted by the change to the payment  now being means tested, rather being available to every pensioner, whether they needed it to help pay for their fuel bills or not.  

So, therefore, we took fast action and we set aside some of our Fairness Fund, including £150,000 from the Household Support Fund, to fund a campaign to encourage more people to take up Pension Credits and so  access winter fuel support from the government directly, and also to make our new Brighton & Hove Fuel Payments to pensioners who just miss out on Pension Credits but are still struggling. Our campaign also includes Welfare Officers contacting residents directly who they believe are entitled to Pension Credits but for whatever reason may not be claiming them. Our Administration and our Officers are working hard to ensure that the Government’s relevant funding, as in the Household Support Funding, is targeted to help our residents that are most in need in terms of both financial support and support in ensuring that crisis is prevented.

Our country’s finances needed to be addressed in a strategic manner and thus a decision was made by our government that it was no longer possible to give Winter Fuel Payments to every pensioner whether they need it or not. The upside to this change has meant that many more very low incomed pensioners who had never claimed the Pension Credits they are eligible for, are now claiming them, so we can begin to see that financial support is going in the direction where it is most needed. As a Council we quickly adapted to the government’s policy change and are supporting residents of pension age who have been impacted by this change.    

54.4    Councillors Pickett, McNair and Earthey spoke on the matter.

54.5    Councillor Taylor responded to the debate.

54.6    The Mayor put the recommendations to the vote.

54.7    Resolved -

(1)       That the petition is noted.