‘It is very cruel’: Pensioners incredibly frustrated as their winter fuel payments are scrapped

The atmosphere at Reffley Community Hall is buzzing as members of the Oddfellows gear up for their monthly game of bingo.However, there is a lingering sense of anger among the pensioners who make up the group – and it is not because they are sore losers.Instead, they have been left incredibly frustrated by the Labour Government’s decision to scrap their winter fuel payments.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s proposal to restrict the special payment of between £200-£300 to those receiving pensioner credit was recently voted through.This has left thousands of people across Norfolk hundreds of pounds worse off heading into the winter – including many of the Lynn Oddfellows branch.Leigh Reeve is among the most angered, saying the decision is “disgusting”.

“Why pick on us?” she asks. She is sitting with Ann Butchert, who worked with the NHS from the age of 15 until she retired at the age of 62.“Although personally it doesn’t really affect me, there are a lot of old people who live in deplorable conditions and they don’t have enough,” Ann says. “That is dreadful. It is very cruel.”The Oddfellows is a group which helps people to make friends, socialise and seek support while enjoying a range of fun activities.There is a real sense of community when you meet them – they will no doubt band together if times do get tough. But there is also a common theme many of them raise when discussing the decision to take away their winter fuel payments, which Ann Strand-Thompson sums up eloquently.“We are proud people, and we don’t want to go cap in hand,” she says.“It is the way we have grown up. We want what is due, but we don’t want to go cap in hand having to beg.”Christine Walker has been benefiting from the fuel payment for the last three years, and is surprised that the Labour Party has been the one to halt it. While losing it will not leave her “absolutely desperate”, she believes it is pensioners who are not able to socialise with others who will be the worst affected.Her friend Patricia Lewis says that “at the end of the day, it’s just another worry”.Delna Barrett, also sitting with Christine and Patricia, adds: “There are a lot of people it will hit hard.“It is the Labour Party – I have voted for them all my life, and I am a bit shocked that they have done it.” Reaction across the political scene in Norfolk has been mixed following the outcome of the vote.The Labour South West Norfolk MP Terry Jermy voted in favour of the plans, while his North West Norfolk counterpart James Wild – a Conservative – voted against.But in this small Reffley hall, the verdict seems to be unanimous.“I shan’t have that much to spend on other items,” Susan Hearle says. “I hope they don’t take our bus passes away next,” she adds – a sentiment echoed throughout the building.Valerie Johnston asks: “Why are they hitting the pensioners? This is wrong, isn’t it?”Christine Prime suggests that she and others may have to resort to an ‘olden-day’ method of simply wearing more clothes rather than relying on paid-for heating.“It should bring home the impact to younger families,” she says. “We survived, so for younger people to wack their heating on…”One thing is clear – pensioners are not at all happy with Keir Starmer’s decision to deprive them of this winter fuel payment.The Prime Minister claimed it will help to plug a “black hole” in public finances, but many have been left asking why money is being taken from pensioners when hundreds of millions of pounds are being spent on the likes of foreign aid.The debate is likely to rage on – and many people will have a keen eye on how our older generations cope this winter.