In the Telegraph, Maya Wilson-Autzen profiles 72 year-old retired teacher Lynn Emm, who, because of Rachel Reeves, is now forced to choose between warmth and survival. Here’s an excerpt:
Britain has faced freezing temperatures this week, with some regions falling to lows of -20°C, yet millions of pensioners are in the same position as Ms. Emm.
An estimated 10 million retirees have been left without the winter fuel allowance after the Government announced only those in receipt of pension credit would qualify. Ms. Emm only just misses out on the £200 support.
The former teacher said she is “really scared” to turn the heating on as she can’t afford a big bill.
Ms. Emm receives the full new state pension, which is £221.20 a week, just £3 above the cut-off for winter fuel allowance. She is also in receipt of a teacher’s pension. However, in 2023 she lost her life savings after being targeted online. She lost a staggering £200,000.
“This money was supposed to give me some comfort and pay for a few small luxuries in my retirement. It is completely gone and now the Government has cruelly taken away the winter fuel allowance and I am forced to scrimp and scrape to survive with no savings to fall back on,” she said.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting came under fire last week after urging pensioners to turn their heating on in light of the plummeting temperatures. But people like Ms. Emm are “so frightened” to put the heating on for more than an hour or two a day at most.
Instead, she wraps herself in blankets while moving around the house during the day: “This week has been freezing and miserable.” …
Half of people in Ms. Emm’s position are going to bed earlier to avoid putting the heating on, or have started skipping meals to save energy, a survey by the charity Independent Age found. Caroline Abrahams, director of Age U.K., said: “Wearing more layers and staying in bed for longer might have worked for older people when the weather was mild, but now it has got really cold and there’s snow and frost around, it won’t be enough to keep them adequately warm.”
Ms Emm… lives off her state pension, which goes almost entirely on bills and food. She is forced to search for bargains and live off reduced items: “I don’t buy any luxuries or comforts.” …
She has been forced to turn to charities like Lightning Reach, a financial support portal, which has launched a Winter Warmth Network to connect struggling pensioners with support.
You’ll need to set up an account to comment if you don’t already have one. We ask for a minimum donation of £5 if you'd like to make a comment or post in our Forums.
To join in with the discussion please make a donation to The Daily Sceptic.
Profanity and abuse will be removed and may lead to a permanent ban.