Winter Fuel cuts will leave Devon pensioners 'deciding whether to eat or heat'
A motion, agreed ahead of yesterday's vote, will see the the county council trying to make sure any struggling pensioners are signposted to help
Across Devon, a campaign is starting after the automatic Winter Fuel payment was cut for around 180,000 pensioners.
The Government's voted to remove the up to £300 support for people in England and Wales not in receipt of pension credit or other means-tested benefits.
A motion by Lib Dem Councillor Alan Connett means the county council will now do more to signpost any pensioners who are struggling.
He said: "I think a lot of pensioners are going to be making choices about whether they eat or heat their homes.
"They have given them no notice at all to be able to plan and prepare for this Winter - if they said they were going to do it in a year's time at least people might have had some time to think about what they're going to do.
"Overall, across all the groups and parties on the county council, people recognised the awful impact the Winter Fuel Payment cut is going to have on pensioners and have voted to take action.
"I do have constituents who are better off who've said look I don't need or want the payment, but if it's going to be taken away they were expecting it to be used to help those in greatest need."
The motion (section 312) reads: "Council is also concerned by the low take up of pension credit with only 63% of those eligible nationwide receiving them – and over 880,000 pensioners not doing so.
"Council recognises the role we have to play to increase awareness of benefits such as Pension Credit to ensure people are aware of the support they are entitled to."
In Torbay, which has one of the highest elderly populations, the Winter Fuel Payment changes will impact around 31,000 pensioners.
Hazel Foster, Tory councillor for Torbay's Wellswood Ward worries it'll cause knock-on problems, adding: "Torbay has a lot of people who are retirement age.
"I can see charities are going to have to set up rooms. Residents do need to keep warm, it's so important, food and warmth is the two most important things."
A Conservative motion to annul the Government's cuts to winter fuel payments was defeated by 348 votes to 228, majority 120, in the House of Commons yesterday.
Richard Foord MP, Lib Dem for Honiton & Sidmouth voted against the change yesterday in Parliament, afterwards saying: "Since these plans have been announced I have been inundated with local people expressing their concern at this decision - so it is right that to take this opportunity to stand up for them in Parliament.
“While we understand the dire state the Conservatives left the public finances in, now is not the time to be cutting support to some of the most vulnerable people in our society.”
Ahead of the vote, a work and pensions minister said there were "plenty of very wealthy pensioners" who do not need the winter fuel payment, as she defended reforms to the benefit.
Emma Reynolds said there is "fairly widespread agreement" among MPs that the benefit should not be universal, adding it is right for the Government to target support to the poorest pensioners.
Ms Reynolds highlighted mitigation measures introduced by the Government, including extending the Household Support Fund, and said it was a "national scandal" that the previous Conservative government had not done more to increase uptake of pension credit.
Her remarks came after Labour MPs questioned the economic case for Government cuts to the winter fuel payment, warning the policy will also have a "humanitarian cost".
The Westminster Hall debate also heard pensioners are considering riding on a bus in a bid to keep warm this winter while others fear they will "not survive the winter".