16,000 Wrexham pensioners lose out under Winter Fuel Payments cut

More than 16,000 pensioners in Wrexham are losing out on Winter Fuel Payments as a result of the cuts made by the UK Labour government.

The shocking figures, compiled by the Age UK charity, include 1,600 pensioners in Wrexham who are eligible for pension credit but are not currently claiming it.

The numbers were revealed by Plaid Cymru councillors who believe the impact of the cuts will be felt by the poorest and most vulnerable pensioners in our community.

Councillor Marc Jones, who leads the Plaid Cymru group on Wrexham council, said: "The cuts to Winter Fuel Payments will disproportionately hit the oldest and most vulnerable members in our community. Many people over 80 and people with disabilities are among those hardest hit because they're not claiming benefits that they're entitled to. To introduce these cuts with no support to ensure those eligible can make that claim is heartless. 

"But there are many more who are just above the Pension Credit threshold, in some cases by a few pounds, and they too will be hit hard this winter."

Cllr Jones added that Plaid Cymru was launching a petition in the Monday market (23 September) to put pressure on the UK Labour Government to change its mind: "It's not too late for Keir Starmer to change his mind on this. There are plenty of alternatives to cutting allowances for some of the poorest people in our community - a windfall tax on the record profits of the big energy companies would be one simple solution. But we also need to make sure that the people with the broadest shoulders - the rich - pay their fair share of taxes just like the rest of us have to."

As part of their campaign to highlight the issue, the Plaid Cymru group on Wrexham Council is also bringing a motion condemning the Winter Fuel Allowance cut to full council next Wednesday (25 September) and is calling on other councils throughout Wales to follow suit. Cllr Jones added: "There's a great deal of anger about this - it affects 400,000 households in Wales and many of them are just about surviving. They're not millionaires by any stretch - many have a small works pension that takes them above the threshold and that's exactly the kind of household that's been needlessly hit hard by this cut."