Today Vale of Clwyd MS, Gareth Davies, challenged the First Minister, Eluned Morgan MS, during First Minister’s Questions in the Senedd over the Welsh Government’s “impotence” in making the case against cuts to Winter Fuel Payments to the UK Government. Mr Davies argued that Wales will be disproportionately affected by the cuts with Denbighshire being one of the most affected counties with an older average population by 5 years compared the Wales average.
Mr Davies outlined that an estimated 30,000 pensioners in Conwy and Denbighshire will lose their winter fuel payments in the same month that energy bills are set to rise by more than 10%. He also criticised the decision to cut Winter Fuel Payments at the same time as the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced multi-billion-pound investments in carbon capture subsidies and public sector pay rises. Mr Davies repeated the concerns expressed by the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales that the UK will see an additional 4,000 deaths this winter and called on the First Minister to improve communication with Whitehall and persuade the UK Government to change course.
Following the exchange in the Senedd, Gareth Davies MS, said:
“Denbighshire has an older population compared to the Welsh average and will be disproportionately impacted by these cuts with an estimated thirty thousand pensioners in Conwy and Denbighshire set to lose their Winter Fuel Payments in the same month that energy bills will rise by more than ten per cent.
“I put to the First Minister that the Chancellor is attempting to balance the books on the frailest shoulders with areas like Denbighshire losing out the most, whilst the UK Government announces above-inflation public sector pay rises.
“The First Minister needs to pick up the phone and make the case for Wales which is set to lose out the most from this decision.”
