WE'RE NOT GREEDY! BRITAIN'S ELDERLY WILL DO DEAL ON FUEL SUPPORT

Search your conscience on brutal cut, MPs told

- Sam Lister

PENSIONERS BACK COMPROMISE OVER WINTER FUEL BENEFIT

BRITAIN'S pensioners have urged Sir Keir Starmer to support a compromise deal that would mean only the well-off lose winter fuel payments.

An independent survey carried out for the Silver Voices campaign has highlighted the level of concern about Labour's controversial money-saving measure.

Nearly 3,000 members took part, the largest response in the group's history, with nine in 10 opposing the reforms that will leave some retirees £300 worse off.

But they also overwhelmingly supported a possible compromise to protect older people on modest incomes, with 94% in favour of it being taken off wealthy pensioners paying a higher rate tax.

Silver Voices director Dennis Reed said: "Our members support the continuation of the universal payment.

"But they are not greedy. In order to provide a get-out for Labour, we suggest a new cut-off point for this benefit at the level of the higher rate of tax.

"We hope the pressure from MPs over the next few days will persuade the Government to withdraw the regulations and conduct a proper consultation and impact assessment on possible reform of the winter fuel payment, with the universal payment continuing for this winter."

Linking the allowance to the 40% higher income tax rate would mean more than half a million pensioners losing out.

That would be a dramatic reduction from the current 10 million who will lose the allowance thanks to Labour's blanket ban for those not on pension credit.