WIRRAL Labour has lost a vote over a motion calling for the government to reverse its plans to means test the winter fuel allowance for pensioners. The motion had been put forward by the Conservatives and supported by the Green Party and Liberal Democrats meaning it had majority support from councillors.

Around 10m pensioners in Wales and England who are not on pension credit or other means-tested benefits are expected to no longer get the annual payments, worth between £100 and £300. In Wirral, this is expected to be around 58,000 pensioners.

The UK government has said most pensioners would benefit for an upcoming rise in the state pension and it’s been argued the cuts are needed to sort out public finances following the last Conservative government. The cuts have also led to a reported surge in claims for pension credit which means more pensioners than expected will continue to be eligible for the winter fuel allowance.

The Conservatives on the council put forward a motion calling for the cuts to be reversed, to write to Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves and all four Wirral Labour MPs, contact community organisations, and ask Mayor Cllr Cherry Povall to sign a petition against the cuts. Conservative leader Cllr Jeff Green said the government’s decision was “breathtaking cruelty” given recent rises in energy prices.

He said: “The public believe they have been deceived,” adding that if Labour refused to support the motion, “we’ll know they’re turning their backs on the pensioners of Wirral simply to support a government that has no idea. It didn’t even carry out an impact assessment on this change, and doesn’t mind if pensioners are faced with the cruel aspect of whether to eat or heat.”

The Green Party also criticised the move and called for the government to speed up home insulation programmes to help people save on their energy bills. Referring to a previous motion passed last year to help more people access benefits, Cllr Amanda Onwuemene said: “I don’t really know what’s changed. Those people are still in poverty.”

Liberal Democrats also voted with the Conservatives arguing if the government had planned to means test the winter fuel allowance, it should have not rushed the decision. Cllr Helen Raymond said: “When you remove any universal benefit, there are people who fall between the cracks who are just managing,” adding: “These are the people we need to look at rather than removing this immediately. It should have been flagged and thought about rather than brought in as a knee jerk reaction.”

However, Labour councillors hit back at the criticism arguing the new government was elected to solve “economic mismanagement which has brought our country to this desperate state” and pointed to increases in the state pension and the ability to access to pension credit. They accused the Conservatives of hypocrisy when they had previously proposed means testing the benefit and introduced cuts to pensioner benefits like free TV licences.

Pointing to profits made by energy companies while the Conservatives were in government, Cllr Ann Ainsworth said: “That was on your watch. Where were your motions about the poverty pensioners were in then when you were in government and had the chance to do something about it? 

“If you want to talk about a disgrace, that’s the disgrace. The unfettered profits that they were stripping from everybody in this country, not just pensioners. The fact people need a winter fuel payment at all is a disgrace.”

Labour eventually lost the vote with 33 voting in favour of the motion from all three opposition parties. Councillors also approved motions calling for unity in the wake of the Southport stabbings and future funding for Wirral Council while a motion on the creation of an ethical advertising policy for the council failed.

An extraordinary meeting was held earlier in the day which agreed to award the Freedom of the Borough to the YMCA Wirral and Dame Patricia Routledge, the highest award that the council can give.