Labour accused of ‘punishing pensioners’ as £400 triple lock hike WON’T offset winter fuel payment axing

MINISTERS risked a major backlash as a “routine” £400 planned rise in the state pension doesn’t make up for the winter fuel allowance axe.

Treasury internal analysis reveals they expect the benefit to go up by average earnings which will kick in next April for millions of elderly Brits.

The figures come as the government is under mounting pressure over cutting the winter fuel payment worth up to £300 for ten million pensioners.

The measure means the overall increase in incomes for OAPs is likely to be £100 or £200.

Tory leader Rishi Sunak used a heated Prime Minister’s Questions to question why Sir Keir Starmer decided to give train drivers a pay hike – while cutting the benefit.

He said: “The government  doesn’t  have to choose to take money off low paid pensioners and give it to highly paid train drivers. He can’t justify it.”

“Government is about making choices, and the new Prime Minister has made a choice.

“(He) has chosen to take the winter fuel allowance away from low-income pensioners and give that money to certain unionised workforces in inflation-busting pay rises.

“So can I just ask the Prime Minister, why did he choose train drivers over Britain’s vulnerable pensioners?”

The PM said: “This Government was elected to clear up the mess left by the party opposite, to bring about the change that the country desperately needs. Our first job was to audit the books, and what we found was a £22 billion black hole.”

He added: “So we’ve had to take tough decisions to stabilise the economy and repair the damage, including targeting winter fuel payments whilst protecting pensioners – 800,000 pensioners are not taking up pension credit.”

The Treasury analysis came under attack from shadow Welfare Secretary Mel Stride who said the government “expect pensioners to be grateful” – but it won’t help them get through the winter months.

The Tory leadership hopeful said: “Next April’s routine state pension increase does not help pensioners losing Winter Fuel Payments this coming winter.

“Labour repeatedly misled voters at the election saying they had no plans to cut Winter Fuel Payments, as well as matching the Conservative pledge to protect the triple lock.

“This was not an either-or. Now they are trying to use the triple lock as an excuse for going back on their word.

“An increase next April in line with earnings is the minimum required in law – Labour would have needed to pass primary legislation to change this.

“Yet they expect pensioners to be grateful while two thirds of those already in poverty are set to lose their winter fuel support.”

The criticism comes as Labour MP Rachael Maskell has suggested she can’t vote with the government to end the universal winter fuel cash.

She told the BBC: “I couldn’t vote for this, but I think what we are saying, this is bigger than a vote because this is about protecting people’s lives and ultimately that is our responsibility as MPs, to speak to truth to power.

“That is all we are doing is to say actually there are some people in danger here, that are at risk, and we need the Government to step in like Gordon Brown did when he introduced the winter fuel payment.”

Chancellor Rachel Reeves insists she needs to tackle a £22 billion black hole saying there will be “difficult decisions” to be made at next month’s Budget.

A final decision on uprating the state pension will be made by Welfare Secretary Liz Kendall ahead of the Budget.

Under the triple lock, the state pension rises every April by the rate of inflation in the September before the rise, average increase in wages or 2.5 per cent.