Dave Warren, secretary PCS Wales Associate and Retired Members Section (personal capacity)
On 4 February, the day the Senedd (Welsh Parliament) met to discuss the 2025 budget proposals, Unite the Union and the National Pensioners’ Convention, supported by the PCS Wales Executive Committee, held a noisy lobby outside.
Demonstrators called on the Welsh Government to use some of its £26 billion budget to support the 560,000 Welsh pensioners who have lost their winter fuel payment this year.
To its credit, Unite has been particularly active in opposing the UK government’s cut to the winter fuel payment. While it is necessary to campaign for that decision to be overturned, it is also correct to put demands on the Welsh government. Unite proposes a series of options to mitigate the damage to Welsh pensioners, namely targeting help at housing benefit recipients, council tax reduction recipients, or disabled pensioners. It also suggests setting up a central fund to which pensioners suffering hardship could apply for help. While any extension of the criteria for receipt of some kind of payment would be welcome, these means-tested schemes are no substitute for an adequate payment direct to all pensioners.
Speaking on behalf of PCS Wales Associate and Retired Members section, I told the 100-strong rally that the payment of universal benefits was one of the cornerstones of the welfare state. Neither the state pension itself, nor access to the NHS are means tested and the UK Labour government had undermined that fundamental principle.
Hannah Blythyn, Labour MS (Member of the Senedd), emphasised her trade union credentials and pledged support for pensioners in general terms, but at no point did she oppose the cut to the winter fuel payment. That is not good enough. The least that a speaker at that rally should have done was to oppose the cut the rally was called to oppose. The Labour Social Justice Secretary in the Welsh government, Jane Hutt, has defended the cut to the winter fuel payment in the Senedd and refused to criticise the Westminster government.
While the campaign to force the Westminster government to restore the payment must continue, the Wales TUC should campaign for the Welsh government to fund its own universal winter fuel payment for pensioners in Wales.
