Pensioners 'abandoned'

Reporter: Iram Ramzan
Date published: 07 June 2017


MORE than 13,000 pensioners in Oldham West and Royton could lose their winter fuel allowance, Labour has claimed.

Jim McMahon, who is hoping to retain his seat in the constituency, said Prime Minister Theresa May was going on a "buccaneer style" raid on pensioners' life savings and mortgages.

The Conservative Party has proposed to introduce means-testing for the universal benefit for all pensioners, but it is unclear how that would be done.

Nationally, 10 million people - five out of six pensioners - are set to lose their winter fuel payments, worth up to £300. In Oldham West and Royton, 13,290 (or 78 per cent of pensioners) could lose their winter fuel allowance, worth up to £300 a year. Almost 380,000 (79 per cent of pensioners) in Greater Manchester could lose their allowance.

The Conservative manifesto also sets out plans for a social care tax that would compel elderly people with dementia to use their home to pay for their treatment after death.

Under the new Tory plans, Labour has said people in Oldham West and Royton could pay almost £10,000 in social care costs from their savings and their mortgage, before the state steps in. The average cost across Greater Manchester would be £36,000.

The Conservatives would also remove the triple lock on pensions after 2020. This means a pension is not guaranteed to increase by 2.5 per cent every year. The party also said it would raise the state pension age, meaning 34 million people face the prospect of working longer.

Labour has said it will protect pensioner incomes by legislating to keep the triple lock on state pensions over the lifetime of the next parliament.

The party says it will keep Winter Fuel Payments and free bus passes for everyone over the age of 60. It said it will also ensure that there is no rise in the State Pension age beyond 66, and will give the NHS and social care the funding they need.

Mr McMahon spoke to pensioners in Oldham West and Royton to ask them for their views on these policies.

Ann (64), from Werneth who is voting Labour, believes she will be hit hard. She said: "Theresa May is showing arrogance by taking the vote of people my age for granted. I can understand that a small number of pensioners can afford this, but for the Tories to help themselves to people's pensions and savings, without consulting people and seeing what they actually need, it's a heavy-handed betrayal of people who have worked hard all their lives."

In Chadderton, Alan (80) has already used more than £25,000 of his £50,000 life savings on his wife's care, as she has dementia.

He said: "I never thought I'd see the day when the Tories abandon pensioners like me - people who have worked hard all their lives, and just want to retire in peace."

Mr McMahon added: "What these policies show us is that the Tories have turned their backs on pensioners and are taking their votes for granted.

"Theresa May has no right to go on buccaneer-style raids on pensioners' life savings and mortgages, at the same time as cutting taxes to Tory pals in big business and preserving tax-free havens for the super-rich."

The Chronicle contacted the Conservative Party for a comment.