This is revealing: Unite might be right to fight winter fuel payment cuts.
The reason? It seems Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves neglected an important part of their preparation for making the change to the allowance for pensioners.
They needed to run a full impact assessment on what restricting the payment to those on pension credit would mean – not only the effect on their finances but any harm to their health as well.
Buy Cruel Britannia in print here. Buy the Cruel Britannia ebook here. Or just click on the image!
That is the union’s claim. It is calling for the High Court to order a judicial review of the policy, also asking that the court consider whether the independent Social Security Advisory Committee should also have been consulted in advance.
If the court allows a judicial review, it could go badly for Labour because the party’s representatives have had very little to say about the well-being of the people losing the benefit.
In the BBC’s article, Chancellor Rachel Reeves is quoted as saying the cut is necessary to repair a “hole” in the public finances left by the previous government.
And Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall was quoted, arguing that she had to act urgently to bring in the regulations before winter, and to make in-year savings in government spending.
By comparison, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham told the BBC the government had “brought something in without knowing what it is going to cost in terms of illness, what it is going to cost in terms of death”.
The court’s decision must be based on the law, of course.
But it won’t hurt that the request is being made in an attempt to protect people, while the defence against it is only about saving some filthy lucre.
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Unite might be right to fight winter fuel payment cuts
This is revealing: Unite might be right to fight winter fuel payment cuts.
The reason? It seems Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves neglected an important part of their preparation for making the change to the allowance for pensioners.
They needed to run a full impact assessment on what restricting the payment to those on pension credit would mean – not only the effect on their finances but any harm to their health as well.
Buy Cruel Britannia in print here. Buy the Cruel Britannia ebook here. Or just click on the image!
That is the union’s claim. It is calling for the High Court to order a judicial review of the policy, also asking that the court consider whether the independent Social Security Advisory Committee should also have been consulted in advance.
If the court allows a judicial review, it could go badly for Labour because the party’s representatives have had very little to say about the well-being of the people losing the benefit.
In the BBC’s article, Chancellor Rachel Reeves is quoted as saying the cut is necessary to repair a “hole” in the public finances left by the previous government.
And Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall was quoted, arguing that she had to act urgently to bring in the regulations before winter, and to make in-year savings in government spending.
By comparison, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham told the BBC the government had “brought something in without knowing what it is going to cost in terms of illness, what it is going to cost in terms of death”.
The court’s decision must be based on the law, of course.
But it won’t hurt that the request is being made in an attempt to protect people, while the defence against it is only about saving some filthy lucre.
Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:
Be among the first to know what’s going on! Here are the ways to manage it:
1) Register with us by clicking on ‘Subscribe’ (bottom right of the home page). You can then receive notifications of every new article that is posted here.
2) Follow VP on Twitter @VoxPolitical
3) Like the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/VoxPolitical/
Join the Vox Political Facebook page.
4) You could even make Vox Political your homepage at http://voxpoliticalonline.com
5) Follow Vox Political writer Mike Sivier on BlueSky
6) Join the MeWe page at https://mewe.com/p-front/voxpolitical
7) Feel free to comment!
And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!
If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!
Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.
Cruel Britannia is available
in either print or eBook format here:
The Livingstone Presumption is available
in either print or eBook format here:
Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
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