Kemi Badenoch, the Tory leader, warned that pensioners could suffer and even die this Christmas as a result of Labour’s “cruel” cut to the winter fuel allowance. During the final Prime Minister’s Questions of 2024, Badenoch told the House of Commons: “The tragic reality this Christmas is pensioners will suffer and may even die as a result of this cruel policy.”
Badenoch accused Labour of failing to consider the impact on councils and the NHS, questioning whether Chancellor Rachel Reeves “just not know what she is doing?” Sir Keir Starmer rejected the criticism and suggested Labour had no choice but to make tough decisions due to the £22 billion “black hole” in public finances allegedly left by the Conservatives.
The Prime Minister highlighted Labour’s commitment to keeping the state pension triple lock and said the Household Support Fund was set out in the Budget. However, Badenoch argued there are 850,000 eligible pensioners not claiming pension credit, which would cost £2.3 billion to rectify – “wiping out the savings the Chancellor claimed she would make.”
Age UK warned that cutting the winter fuel payment with little notice could jeopardise the health and finances of millions of older people. Badenoch said this was “the last thing both pensioners and the NHS need.” Starmer acknowledged the concern but defended the need to stabilise the public finances.
The final PMQs of the year also saw Starmer put under pressure over the Government’s decision not to award compensation to the WASPI women. Badenoch claimed Labour had “played politics with the WASPI women”, but Starmer said taxpayers simply could not afford the £10 billion bill. Diane Abbott, the Mother of the House, later expressed concern and suggested Starmer had let the women down.
