With the coldest winter in over 40 years Labour has demonstrated it’s commitment to providing real help to pensioners to assist them through this tough time.  Local residents have been telling me how grateful they are to the Labour Government for providing pensioners with the most support they’ve ever had.

Labour created the Winter Fuel Allowance, providing £250 for over-60 households and £400 for over-80 households with the most vulnerable receiving an extra £25 a week in Cold Weather Payments.  The Government has also increased funding for the Warm Front programme to insulate pensioners’ homes and the VAT cut last year was worth £275 off the average household bill.

This kind of support wouldn’t have been here if it weren’t for Labour; if the next government is a Tory government all of this will be under threat – David Cameron opposed the VAT cut and the extra money allocated for Cold Weather Payments in the Pre-Budget Report.  Furthermore, last year Ken Clarke the Shadow Business Secretary admitted that nothing is safe from the prospect of Tory cuts – not even free bus passes and TV licences.

In 2009/2010 the average pensioner is £1,500 better off under the Labour Government but it seems as if a Conservative government would leave pensioners out in the cold.