NO ONE SHOULD SUFFER IN LABOUR'S FUEL PAY 'MESS!

OAPS must be given a castiron guarantee they will not miss out on fuel payments this winter due to pension credit delays, Labour is being warned.

- Katie Harris

Senior Tory Mel Stride made the demand in a letter to Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall. His call comes as Labour faces a backlash for restricting the cash to people on pension credit.

Writing in the Daily Express which is calling for the cut to be reversed - Shadow Pensions Secretary Mr Stride says: "Ministers claim those who need the winter fuel payment will at least still get it.

"It is their justification for this cruel and poorly thought through policy. But...many pensioners who would qualify for pension credit, don't receive it. One in five pension credit applications aren't even being processed within a 10-week period. Countless vulnerable pensioners on less than £11,500 a year will miss out on this vital payment in time for the winter."

Dennis Reed, director of the Silver Voices campaign group, said: "This major change in policy, affecting 10 million pensioners, has been rushed through without consultation, impact assessment or advance scrutiny.

"Not only are the savings to be made by putting thousands of lives at risk this winter relatively small, but they appear to have been inflated for publicity purposes.