Lee Anderson has shared a TikTok video of Prime Minister Keir Starmer demanding clarification earlier this year from then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on whether the Tories would be scrapping pensioners' winter fuel payments.
The clip is taken from May 2024, only a couple of months ago.
In the clip, Starmer says: “Last year the prime minister was apparently drawing up plans to remove the winter fuel allowance from pensioners. His paymaster general went a step further. He said these are the sorts of things that we need to look at. So will he now rule out taking pensioners' winter fuel payments off them to help fund his £46bn black hole?”
In a brutal four-word slap down of the new Labor PM, Lee Anderson shared the clip on X with the caption “This Aged Well. Not….”
This comes after Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced controversial changes to the eligibility of winter fuel payments beginning this year. The change means only those who receive pension credit or some other benefits will be eligible to receive the payments.
Those who do not receive pension credit or certain other benefits will not be able to receive winter fuel payments.
The Labor government has been heavily criticized for cutting these payments, and some have even called for the Chancellor to resign over it.
Lee Anderson, who is the Reform UK MP for Ashfield, shared an email he had received from a member of the public in regards to the change in winter fuel payments a few days ago.
He said: “Just received this email. 'Hi Lee, You're not my MP but please keep doing what you can, I fear for our country, and yes I'm one that's lost and need my winter fuel, and we have worked all our lives never claiming a penny. ' Devastated pensioner.”
When announcing the winter fuel payment changes, Rachel Reeves explained: “Let me be clear: this is not a decision I wanted to make. But it is a necessary and urgent decision I must make – It is the responsible thing to do to fix the foundations of our economy and bring back economic stability.”
The decision will mean a huge 10 million pensioners will now be ineligible to receive winter fuel payments out of the 11.5 million pensioners who previously received the payment.