MEASURES to give extra help to Inverclyde pensioners struggling with the cost of heating their homes can’t come soon enough, councillors have said.
Members of Inverclyde Council’s policy and resources committee rubber-stamped plans to spend £600,000 on helping older people who are no longer eligible for the UK Government’s Winter Fuel Payment, or for its Scottish equivalent.
The Inverclyde move will see pensioners who aren’t eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment have £200 credited to their council tax account, freeing up more cash to pay their heating bills.
MPs recently backed a Labour move to restrict the Winter Fuel Payment to fewer older people – prompting the Scottish Government to take a similar step with its new Pension Age Winter Heating Payment.
READ MORE: Find out if you're eligible for Inverclyde's winter fuel support fund
The decision by Inverclyde councillors comes as the area endures the first blast of temperatures close to, or below, zero this winter.
Depute council leader Natasha McGuire said: “With temperatures plummeting this week, this is a timely intervention to help older people during the harsh winter months and put some money back in their pockets.
“We have a proud record as a council of supporting the most vulnerable in society."
Councillor David Wilson (Conservative, Inverclyde East) told the committee: "I welcome this report. It will help in a small way to compensate for the loss of the £300 winter fuel payment,created by the Westminster Government.
"I also want to praise [Conservative group leader] Councillor Graeme Brooks’ strong leadership to use the anti-poverty fund to help some of our pensioners.
The new credit will go to pension age households who don't receive one of the seven benefits that would qualify them for the Scottish Government's revised winter fuel payment and who were in receipt of council tax reduction or housing benefit as of November 11.
The payment is also available to pension age households which are exempt from paying council tax because all the occupants are severely mentally impaired.
Councillor Chris Curley (SNP, Inverclyde East) said: "I'm conscious of the fact is that we're still with the Westminster Winter Fuel Payment this year, and that next year the plan is that be a Scottish version of it.
“I'm not going to rehearse the arguments here [about the removal of universal winter fuel payment], but we we've got a one-year plan here and we'll have to take cognisance of what is proposed by the Scottish Government for next year.
“Whether that is going to be means tested we do not know at this time.
READ MORE: Anti-poverty charity warns Inverclyde families 'face a desperate time' this winter
"I am glad to see that we have a plan for this year but having an eye to next year we need to make sure we get a paper as early as possible, so people in Inverclyde know what the Scottish winter fuel payment is and whether is going to be mitigated further in Inverclyde."
Chief financial officer Alan Puckrin agreed that the one-year measure would give the council time to find out what would happen at a UK or Scottish level.
After the meeting Cllr Curley added: "Removal of the funding in year has caused a significant detrimental impact on Inverclyde pensioners.
“As a council we do not have the resources to mitigate the decisions made by the UK Labour Government but this measure should hopefully help those pensioners most in need."
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