People Before Profit Cllr Shaun Harkin has said people power forced Stormont to act on Winter Fuel Support but response has been grossly inadequate towards pensioners.
Said the Foyleside councillor: “People power pressure has forced DfC Minister Gordon Lyons and the Stormont Executive to find £17 million to provide £100 in hardship support for all those impacted by the British government’s cruel decision to slash the Winter Fuel Payment.
“We commend all older people, retired workers, community groups and trade unions who’ve backed the Freeze the Cuts campaign, taken to the streets and supported Unite the Union’s call to Defend the Winter Fuel Payment.
“Campaign efforts stand in stark contrast to the Stormont Executive’s callous willingness to unnecessarily wave through the cut here without an Equality Impact Assessment.
“While many older people are welcoming the £100 support announcement, there are serious limitations and shortcomings. People Before Profit fully endorse the criticism levelled at the DfC Minister and the Stormont Executive for doing too little and acting too late.
“Firstly, it’s not enough. It should be fully reinstated. We were told a full mitigation would cost £43 million. There’s no excuse for the Executive to fall so far short of this amount.
“Secondly, waiting until now to make this announcement will deny many older people who need this support access to it during the harshest months of the winter.
“Older people need fuel support immediately, we can’t wait until Spring 2025. The DfC Minister must pull all the levers to get this money sent to people immediately.
“We need to seize on the Minister’s announcement to continue to build pressure for a full reinstatement of the Winter Fuel Payment.
“The Minister and the Executive should feel growing pressure, not praise for their grossly inadequate response.
“The Executive must be held to account for failing to carry out an Equality Impact Assessment.
“We should ratchet-up our support for Unite the Union’s court challenge to Starmer’s decision to attack older people. The pressure on the Labour government to reverse their decision must grow.
“The Stormont Executive has no strategy to address disproportionate levels of fuel poverty here and continues to refuse to implement an Anti-Poverty Strategy to lift children, families, workers and older people in our communities out of poverty.
“It’s clear from this mitigation announcement that people power pressure will be key to shifting government priorities away from facilitating enrichment of Moy Park, big banks and corporate profiteeers.”
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