LOCAL MPs Rachel Gilmour and Gideon Amos have welcomed Monday’s (June 9) Government U-turn on winter fuel payments for pensioners.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed changes were being made to the threshold for the winter fuel payment so all pensioners with annual income below £35,000 will have the money reinstated this winter.

Mrs Gilmour, whose Tiverton and Minehead constituency covers West Somerset, several parishes bordering on Wellington, and parts of the Blackdown Hills and Culm Valley, had campaigned for the payments to be reinstated.

Following the Government decision last July to axe the payments for all but those in receipt of pension credit, she met with charities, including Independent Age, to discuss how to best to help constituents, and also held specialist pension credit application sessions during the past winter to support those in need.

Mrs Gilmour said: “Following months of campaigning, I am glad to hear that the Chancellor has reinstated the winter fuel payment for more than 75 per cent of pensioners.

“Last year, the Government’s short-sighted decision to slash the winter fuel payment was incredibly harmful and affected thousands of pensioners in the Tiverton and Minehead constituency.

“Constituents were contacting my office and attending my surgeries telling me how concerned they were about the prospect of having to choose between heating or eating during the winter months, and so I welcome this decision from the Government.

“My Liberal Democrat colleagues and I will now scrutinise the finer details of this announcement closely, as we look to ensure that pensioners will not find themselves on a cliff edge at the £35,000 threshold.”

Mr Amos, who represents Wellington, said the Government should have listened to Lib Dem opposition in the first place.

He said: “Ministers should have acted before so many pensioners in Taunton and Wellington were forced to choose between heating and eating last winter.

“There was never any excuse for taking this allowance away from hundreds of thousands of pensioners whose low income meant they were eligible for support.

“I am pleased the Government has now seen sense and is making these changes but they should have listened to the principled opposition we mounted at the time.

“We will be watching closely to ensure that older people in Somerset are not put in that position again.“