During Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) on Wednesday the Prime Minister was furiously heckled with MPs shouting “shame” after the government scrapped the winter fuel payments.
Sunak told MPs in the House of Commons, “Government is about making choices, and the new Prime Minister has made a choice.
“(Sir Keir) has chosen to take the winter fuel allowance away from low-income pensioners and give that money to certain unionised workforces in inflation-busting pay rises.
“So can I just ask the Prime Minister, why did he choose train drivers over Britain’s vulnerable pensioners?”
Sir Keir Starmer replied, “This Government was elected to clear up the mess left by the party opposite, to bring about the change that the country desperately needs.
“Our first job was to audit the books, and what we found was a £22 billion black hole.”
He added, “So we’ve had to take tough decisions to stabilise the economy and repair the damage, including targeting winter fuel payments whilst protecting pensioners – 800,000 pensioners are not taking up pension credit.
“We intend to turn that around.
“We’re going to align housing benefit and pension credit, something the previous government deferred year after year after year.”
Starmer said the public finances are Labour’s top priority, Sunak said, “If, as he says, the public finances are a priority, it was his decision and his decision alone to award a train driver on £65,000 a pay rise of almost £10,000, and it was also his decision that a pensioner living on just £13,000 will have their winter fuel allowance removed.
“So can the Prime Minister explain to Britain’s low-income pensioners why he has taken money away from them whilst at the same time given more money to highly paid train drivers?”
