Josh Simons MP: I will work to ensure no one goes cold this winter

Too many people have lost trust in British politics. People have repeatedly told me they feel politicians only knock on their door when elections are coming.

I want to change that locally. Last week, I held a coffee morning in Hindley Green, the first of my roving events across the towns I represent, where I will write directly to residents inviting them to come for a cup of tea with me in a local community centre or church.

There was one overriding issue raised with me: planned changes to the Winter Fuel Payment.

Let me start with the principle. I do not think taxpayers should pay the energy bills of pensioners who are millionaires, like the 27% of pensioners who have a household wealth of over a million. Gordon Brown created this policy to ensure nobody was cold in winter because they could not afford to turn on the heating. Given the shocking state of the finances left by the Conservatives, this Government is choosing to target energy support to those who need it. That is a principle I support. However, I am concerned that pensioners are being misled and scared by willful misinformation from some newspapers and politicians.

In our constituency of Makerfield, there are over 20,000 people of pensionable age: higher than the national average. It is because the stakes are so high that I have decided to start a new campaign: “No one cold this winter”.

I want to get Winter Fuel Payment to every resident who qualifies for it. Everyone who receives Pension Credit will automatically get the payment, but around 850,000 people across the country do not claim Pension Credit despite being eligible. Pension Credit is worth an average of £3,900 per year and the Winter Fuel Payment is roughly £200 or £300, tax-free, a winter. This money can be lifechanging.

You might be a person who has never received a penny in benefits your whole life, but may still be eligible for Pension Credit. At the coffee morning, we found several residents who checked and found they were eligible.

I will be working closely with Wigan Council and the UK Government in this campaign. Wigan Council have a fantastic team who can help every person who lives in the borough check eligibility and fill in the forms. Pension Credit can be claimed by the government website, by phone, or by an online form, and there’s a government website quiz you can use to check eligibility.

I also have an ask of you. We have a proud history in this area of supporting one another. We must draw on that now. I need you to help me identify friends, family, and neighbours who might need support. If they are worried about eligibility or applications, my office can help. I will also be writing to residents who I think may be affected and adding helpful information to my website soon.

The deadline for Winter Fuel Payments is December. We have 4 months to make sure everyone gets the payments they need to keep warm this winter.

In the long-term, this Government is working to avoid this problem arising in the first place – setting up GB Energy to give British people control over how and where our energy is produced, driving down bills and ensuring profits go back into serving our country. But while that hard, slow work of change is happening, I will be working to make sure that nobody I represent goes cold this winter. To do that, I need your help.