“We need to protect very vulnerable people.”
The words of York Central MP Rachael Maskell explaining why she refused to vote for her government’s plan to cut the winter fuel allowance.
Meanwhile her Labour colleague Luke Charters, MP for York Outer, has revealed why he did vote to axe the payment for all but the country’s poorest pensioners.
It comes as Sir Keir Starmer has seen off a backbench rebellion on the issue – but the government’s majority fell to 120.
Its working majority is 167.
MPs voted 348 to 228 to stop the winter fuel allowance for millions of pensioners, rejecting a Tory bid for the controversial policy to be blocked.
One Labour backbencher, Jon Trickett, opposed the Government in supporting the Conservative motion, while 53 including seven ministers had no vote recorded.
The vote will mean only those claiming pension credit or other means-tested benefits will continue to receive help with their energy bills this winter.
Ms Maskell revealed why she was abstaining at her Westminster Hall debate on the issue earlier today.
She said: “We are getting the letters coming in, we are looking at the figures that our constituents have to look at every single day. And they are scared.
“They are telling us they are frightened, because they won’t switch the switch. Because they know if they do, they will have bills that they cannot pay. And we need to protect those very vulnerable people.”
The York Central MP said that pensioners would further be deterred by applying for pension credit as they would have to answer 243 questions on the application form, and then wait a nine week wait.
She later added: “It’s my conscience that I cannot vote for these measures, but I am determined to work with government to find the mitigation that is absolutely crucial. Age UK say it’s too late to find alternatives, they say delay, I say, let’s delay.”
Ministers insist the measure is necessary in order to fill a “£22 billion black hole” in the public finances which they say was left behind by their Tory predecessors.
Luke Charters said the “mess” of the economic inheritance was why he was voting with the government.
“If it sounds like I’m angry, it is because I am, and it’s that reason that we’re having to make this really difficult decision today,” Mr Charters said in a video released on social media.
“When we were last in government, we did bring down pension and poverty, and we’ll do so again.
“And I’m really encouraged by the fact that ministers are doing what they can to roll out pension credit at speed, putting more resources in and working to backdate it as well.”
