The last government wrecked our economy, leaving a £22bn black hole in the public finances. There were no easy options, but not acting was not an option. Keir Starmer has spoken about a decade of national renewal to get our public services back on their feet and in particular to bring down NHS waiting times, because he knows, as the country knows, it will take time to repair the damage left by the Conservatives.
These are not the choices the Chancellor wanted to make or expected to make, but they are the right choices in the circumstances. By taking the tough decisions now to protect the public finances we can begin the process of change. By introducing means testing we can make sure the least well-off pensioners still receive the help they need.
We are absolutely determined to do everything possible to protect the poorest pensioners, and to increase the uptake of pension credit which the Tories failed to do for more than a decade. We have joined forces with local authorities and charities in a drive to encourage those eligible to apply for Pension Credit, this will ensure low-income pensioners continue to receive the Winter Fuel Payment.
As I have underlined in Parliament today, those pensioners on low incomes but above the pension credit threshold should be supported by our council (through the Household Support Fund which is the Government has extended), will also benefit from the Government’s commitment to the triple lock and should apply for the Warm Homes discount from October.