Social Fund Winter Fuel Payment Regulations 2024

Lord Palmer of Childs Hill Excerpts

Wednesday 11th September 2024 Lords Chamber

Moved by

[Lord Palmer of Childs Hill]

That this House regrets that the Social Fund Winter Fuel Payment Regulations 2024 (SI 2024/869), laid before the House on 22 August, will remove support from many of the poorest pensioners at the same time as the energy price cap is being lifted; and calls on the Government (1) to take steps to identify those who are eligible for pension credit but do not claim it so that they can receive both benefits; (2) to support vulnerable pensioners this winter; and (3) to take action to end fuel poverty, including with an emergency home insulation programme and a windfall tax on the profits of oil and gas companies.

Relevant document: 2nd Report from the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee (special attention drawn to the instrument)

[Lord Palmer of Childs Hill (LD)]

My Lords, for the third time, here we go again. I thank the Minister for responding in so much detail and with so much fervour. I know she believes that we can find a way through this morass.

The point of the Motion in my name is not to make political points at all but to guide the Government on things I think they will 100% agree with. Therefore, it is unlike the Conservative Motion, with which I mostly agree but which added the political aspect of union pay, which the noble Lord, Lord Balfe, referred to as one thing he found regrettable.

I hope noble Lords will feel that this regret Motion will not be confrontational. It is meant to be something that both the Government and the Conservative Opposition could live with, and I would like to test the feelings of the House.