Unfreeze Winter Fuel Payment demands Assembly Member

12.00.00am GMT Fri 22nd Feb 2008

The Welsh Liberal Democrat Social Justice spokesperson, Peter Black has called on the Labour Government to unfreeze the Winter Fuel Payment after five years of keeping it at £200.

Mr. Black was speaking in response to Liberal Democrat research that shows the Winter Fuel Payment now only pays for a quarter of a pensioner's fuel bills.

Mr. Black said:

"While the amount of the payment has been frozen at £200 for five years, fuel bills and the profits of energy companies have both risen. This has resulted in the value of the payments halving.

"As fuel bills rise, thousands of older people won't be able to afford to heat their homes this winter. The cost of heating homes has rocketed thanks to the reluctance of the power companies to pass on cost reductions and their eagerness to pass on cost increases.

"In addition, Labour has allowed the value of the basic state pension to plummet and has frozen the Winter Fuel Payment at £200 for five years.

"Here in Wales, we already know that there were 1,400 cold-related deaths last winter, with three-quarters of them involving people aged 75 or over.

"The Liberal Democrats would restore the earnings link to pensions to ensure older people would be better off, and would simplify the whole benefits system."