People Before Profit Councillor Shaun Harkin joined on Monday UNITE Retired Members, Freeze the Cuts, Age NI and others to deliver thousands of Winter Fuel Payment Cut consultation responses directly to the DfC Minister Gordon Lyons at his Belfast office.
The consultation closed on Sunday, March 2.
People Before Profit Cllr Shaun Harkin said: “I commend all those who have refused to accept this cut quietly.
“Stripping hundreds of thousands of older people from access to the Winter Fuel Payment was cruel.
“Starmer claimed the British government couldn’t afford it, but last week he found £13.4 billion for war.
“The Stormont Executive went along with this cruel decision without carrying out the basic requirement of an Equality Impact Assessment.
“Under pressure from retired trade union members, Freeze the Cuts, Unite the Union, Age NI and all the other organisations campaigning against the decision, the Communities Minister agreed to a partial £17 million mitigation.
Communities Minister Gordon Lyons meets protestors in Belfast
“The consultation response will send a clear message to the Minister and Stormont Executive that their response was too little and too late, and, that the Winter Fuel Payment should be fully reinstated.
“Energy corporations are raking in record profits. Prices should be aggressively regulated. Their huge profits should be properly taxed.
“Let’s keep up the pressure on Starmer and Stormont to reverse this draconian cut and for the implementation of a government strategy that really tackles fuel poverty and energy profiteers.”
