Pat McFadden MP Wolverhampton South East Representing Bilston South, Bilston North, East Park, Ettingshall North, Ettingshall South and Spring Vale, Bentley and Darlaston North, Darlaston South, Willenhall South.
Dear resident,
Thank you for contacting me about the Winter Fuel Payment and support for pensioners.
I support maintaining the triple lock so that the value of the state pension is protected. The government is committed to the triple lock, which saw the state Pension rise by £900 this year. I also want to see greater take-up of Pension Credit, and support the government’s new drive to get eligible pensioners to claim Pension Credit. I note that the Government is committed to working with older people’s charities and local authorities to raise awareness of this important benefit, which provides support to the poorest pensioners. I support doing so because it is vital that everyone receives the money to which they are entitled, especially pensioners.
I also believe more needs to be done to ensure that people who have worked hard and saved all their lives receive a decent income in retirement. The King’s Speech on 17 July unveiled a new Pensions Bill which will bring together all the different pension savings that people build up across their working lives and drive better value for money in pension schemes.
The new government has set out clear priorities: restoring economic stability, boosting economic growth and rebuilding our public services. The government is also committed to being open and honest with the public to rebuild trust in politics. As the Chancellor set out in her statement to Parliament, we face the worst inheritance since the Second World War. Given the dire state of the public finances, this Government must take difficult decisions to fix the foundations of our economy and set Britain on a better course.
As part of this, the Chancellor announced that pensioners who are not on Pension Credit will no longer receive Winter Fuel Payments from this year onwards. The government will continue to provide Winter Fuel Payments worth £200 to households receiving Pension Credit, or £300 for households in receipt of Pension Credit with someone aged over 80.
Alongside this, the Government is committed to helping pensioners through the Warm Homes Plan, which will support investment in insulation and low carbon heating, upgrading millions of homes over this Parliament; cutting waiting times in the NHS which will help many pensioners currently waiting in pain and discomfort for treatment; and delivering the economic stability which is so crucial for pensioners.
The forthcoming Budget, due to be delivered on 30 October 2024, will also set out how the Government intends to deliver on our primary mission: to grow our economy. Economic growth is the only way to sustainably improve our public services and our public finances. In my view, significant pro-growth steps have already been taken. This includes our proposals for planning reforms to get Britain building and the establishment of a national wealth fund to catalyse private investment.
I welcome the Government’s focus on creating stable conditions and returning confidence to our economy. That is the bedrock on which economic growth must be built. Fixing the foundations of the economy and avoiding the mistakes of the previous Government will enable us to rebuild Britain and make every part of our country better off. I know these are tough choices. They are not the choices any government would want to make, but they are the right choices in the circumstances. By taking the tough decisions now to protect the public finances we can begin the process of change.
Thank you again for writing to me about this important issue.
Yours sincerely,
Pat
Rt Hon Pat McFadden MP
Wolverhampton South East