MPs have today voted on controversial cuts to the winter fuel allowance. Under the plans, the winter fuel allowance for pensioners will be limited to only those claiming pension credit or other means-tested benefits. It is expected to cut the number of people receiving the payment of up to £300 from 11.4 million to 1.5 million.
The Labour administration says it will save about £1.4 billion this year. Ahead of the vote, Cabinet minister Jonathan Reynolds said the UK Government had "no choice" but to make the change. He rejected suggestions that the Government's decision to strip all but the country's poorest pensioners of the allowance could see some die of cold this winter.
Asked whether ministers accepted this was a possibility, he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "No. We are making sure that we can reassure people by saying the state pension is higher than last winter and energy bills are lower than last winter."
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Pressed on why the Government was pursuing the policy, he told Sky News: "We have no choice." The Tories accused Labour of having failed to "properly examine" the implications of the policy. For the latest politics news in Wales sign up to our newsletter here.
"This has been completely rushed. There's no need to do this as quickly as the Government has done, other than for purely political reasons," shadow work and pensions secretary and Conservative leadership candidate Mel Stride told Times Radio.
"And it means that the implications of this, of course, have not been properly examined in the normal way that they would be, and which is why even trade unions such as Unite has described this as picking the pockets of pensioners."
MPs voted on a bid to block the government's cut to winter fuel allowance in the House of Commons today.
- 23 Labour MPs supported the cut by voting against the amendment
- Four Labour MPs did not vote
- All four Plaid MPs tried to block the change
- Wales' sole Lib Dem MP also tried to block the cut
Opposition MPs have failed to block government plans with 348 MPs backing the government and 228 supporting the opposition motion. Wales has 32 MPs with 28 representing Labour, three for Plaid Cymru and one Lib Dem.
How all Welsh MPs voted on the motion to block the cut to pensioners' winter fuel allowance:
Aberafan Maesteg
Stephen Kinnock - Labour
Against
Alyn and Deeside
Mark Tami - Labour
Against
Bangor Aberconwy
Claire Hughes - Labour
Against
Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney
Nick Smith - Labour
Against
Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe
David Chadwick - Liberal Democrat
For
Bridgend
Chris Elmore - Labour
Against
Caerphilly
Chris Evans - Labour
Against
Cardiff East
Jo Stevens - Labour
Against
Cardiff North
Anna McMorrin - Labour
Did not vote (teller)
Cardiff South and Penarth
Stephen Doughty - Labour
Did not vote
Cardiff West
Alex Barros-Curtis - Labour
Against
Caerfyrddin
Ann Davies - Plaid Cymru
For
Ceredigion Preseli
Ben Lake - Plaid Cymru
For
Clwyd East
Becky Gittins - Labour
Against
Clwyd North
Gill German - Labour
Against
Dwyfor Meirionnydd
Liz Savile Roberts - Plaid Cymru
For
Gower
Tonia Antoniazzi - Labour
Did not vote
Llanelli
Nia Griffith - Labour
Against
Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare
Gerald Jones - Labour
Against
Monmouthshire
Catherine Fookes - Labour
Against
Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr
Steve Witherden - Labour
Against
Neath and Swansea East
Carolyn Harris - Labour
Against
Newport East
Jessica Morden - Labour
Against
Newport West and Islwyn
Ruth Jones - Labour
Against
Pembrokeshire Mid and South
Henry Tufnell - Labour
Against
Pontypridd
Alex Davies-Jones - Labour
Against
Rhondda and Ogmore
Chris Bryant - Labour
Against
Swansea West
Torsten Bell - Labour
Against
Torfaen
Nick Thomas-Symonds: Labour
Did not vote
Vale of Glamorgan
Kanishka Narayan - Labour
Against
Wrexham
Andrew Ranger - Labour
Against
Ynys Mon
Llinos Medi - Plaid Cymru
For