A councillor has claimed that supporting keeping winter fuel payments for all pensioners amounts to giving money to ‘multi-millionaires’.

Wokingham Borough Councillors voted last night (October 24) to run a cross-party campaign to raise awareness for elderly residents across the area set to lose out on their winter fuel allowance.

The Labour government announced in July that it would stop the annual payment of up to £300 for pensioners who are not on means-tested benefits.

The controversial decision went to a vote in Parliament, where Conservatives and Liberal Democrats opposed the plans.

Labour argued that the cuts were needed to plug a £22 billion 'black hole' in government finances.

Across the Wokingham Borough, 16,500 elderly residents will no longer get support to pay their fuel bills.

Now, councillors have pledged to lobby the government to reverse its decision that conservatives have claimed is ‘unexpected and wrong’.

Councillor Pauline Jorgensen said that the annual payment ‘plays a significant role in helping older Wokingham Borough residents afford heating during the coldest months’, and that many still need the payments despite being above the threshold to claim it.

But parties disagreed over the best ways to act during the debate.

The Liberal Democrat run administration pointed out that the council had already done extensive communications over the changes following the Government’s announcement in July, but that they would support more work.

But Conservative Councillor Charles Margetts pointed out that many elderly residents are unable to access the internet or have difficulty in doing so.

Councillor Alex Freeney opposed the motion. The Labour member said: “I of course understand why people are upset about the government decision here.

“The motion calls for a review of the decision to means test winter fuel allowance. It doesn’t call for a review of the threshold.

“Having spoken to residents I understand that lots of people are slightly above the threshold [of getting the winter fuel payment] and that they are going to struggle a lot more this winter and I think there’s a fair argument to be made about raising that threshold.”

But he went on to argue that by asking for a total reversal of the decision, councillors would be ‘putting £200 quid in the pockets of John Redwood, Theresa May or Tony Blair, all of which are multi-millionaires’.

He argued that his government was taking action to support people of all ages amidst a backdrop of increased usage of foodbanks, 40 per cent of which are in work – and 1 million of which are children.

Leader of the Council Stephen Conway said that ‘nobody favours multimillionaires claiming this benefit’, but that a ‘more equitable solution’ was needed for the new fuel payment rules.

The motion was passed, and the leader of the Council will write to Rachel Reeves urging for a rethink on the winter fuel payment.