Household support grant essential to help pensioners

The continuation of the government’s household support fund will be essential to help West Devon’s poorest pensioners afford to heat their homes now that the universal winter fuel payment has been axed, councillors claim.

Only people receiving pension credit will be entitled to the payment this winter, leaving many just over the threshold for the benefit struggling.

West Devon Borough Council intends to use the £125,000 or so that it gets every six months from the government through the household support fund  to help pensioners on low incomes.

The authority will stress the importance of this top-up when the leader writes to chancellor Rachel Reeves urging her to review her decision to scrap the universal benefit. This move, instigated by Cllr Neil Jory (Con, Milton Ford), was wholeheartedly supported by members this week.

The household support fund was brought in to help people under financial pressures to pay their bills during the cost-of-living crisis. It has been  extended every six months following pleas from local councils, but they fear the cash could be cut at any time.

An awareness campaign will be undertaken by the council to encourage residents to check their eligibility for pension credit. It will also promote grants for home upgrades so poor quality properties can be better insulation and heated.

Council leader Mandy Ewings (Ind, Tavistock South West) called the end to the winter fuel payment for all pensioners as “cruel” and Cllr Paul Vachon (Ind, Okehampton South) said pensioners were the sons and daughters of the war generation who had experienced austerity growing up, and now again in old age.

He said the state pension is quite low – £11,492 a year for people who have paid full national insurance contributions for 35 years and which is fifteenth in a table of European countries – but unlike public sector workers, pensioners can’t go on strike.

“They are an easy hit,” he said. “I would like to see some public sector groups stick up for pensioners.”

Cllr Ursula Mann (Ind, Tavistock North), who works for Citizens Advice, said there were very many people who were above the pension credit eligibility by around £500, single people, nurses and those with small pensions who would be greatly affected.

Cllr Ric Cheadle (Ind, Buckland Monachorum) said many of the pensioners who are eligible for pension credit are probably those who are not digitally connected and the council needed to find a way to reach out to these people not just “pushing out an email”.