Emergency Motion 2

Motions 4
16:30 FRIDAY

Winter Fuel Payment

Proposer: National Executive Committee

Conference notes:

  1. The UK Labour Government’s decision to end the universal Winter Fuel Payment.
  2. The Winter Fuel Payment will now only be available to pensioners in receipt of pension credit.
  3. Pension credit is among the most underclaimed of benefits, with Policy in Practice estimating that more than £117m in pension credit goes unclaimed annually in Wales.
  4. Age UK analysis of UK Government data shows that the cut to the Winter Fuel Payment will affect 540,000 pensioners in Wales, and that 82% of those living at or below the poverty line will lose their entitlement to the Winter Fuel Payment.
  5. The Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip has stated that the UK Government’s decision to end the Winter Fuel Payment will risk pushing pensioners in Wales into poverty.
  6. The Welsh Government has nonetheless refused to condemn the cut to the Winter Fuel Payment, or to seek a reversal of the UK Government’s decision.

Conference believes:

  1. No pensioner in Wales should be forced to choose between heating and eating.
  2. Pensioners in Wales should be better supported to ensure they are claiming all the benefits to which they are entitled, and all pensioners living in poverty should receive support with their winter fuel bills.
  3. The impact of the cut to the Winter Fuel Payment will be disproportionately felt in Wales.
  4. The UK Government’s decision to end the universal Winter Fuel Payment should be reversed with urgency.
  5. Welsh Government should demand such a reversal from their UK counterparts.
  6. The UK Government should at the very least introduce an Energy Social Tariff to protect vulnerable households.

Conference resolves:

  1. Plaid Cymru will continue to lead the campaign to reverse the UK Government’s cut to the Winter Fuel Payment.
  2. To call on the Welsh Government to deliver a campaign to better promote pension credit and to ensure that people in Wales are claiming all the benefits to which they are entitled.
  3. To support Age UK’s call that all those claiming benefits including Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction and Carers’ Allowance should be automatically entitled to support with winter fuel bills.
  4. To call on Welsh Government to demand a reversal of the UK Government’s decision to cut the Winter Fuel Payment.
  5. To call on the UK Government to introduce an Energy Social Tariff to protect vulnerable households.