Local MP Alan Mak has called on the Labour Government to apologise after its disastrous handling of the Winter Fuel Payment.
The latest development is a u-turn from Labour on its decision to remove the Winter Fuel Payment from pensioners.
It has announced that more than 75 per cent of pensioners will now be entitled to the payment.
But Chancellor Rachel Reeves has not explained how the Government will pay the estimated £1.25bn cost, and many pensioners will still miss out.
Last autumn Mr Mak was among MPs who gathered outside Parliament to show their opposition to cutting the payment, which is worth up to £300 each to 10 million pensioners.
Up to 20,000 pensioners were affected in the Havant Constituency and Mr Mak has been actively campaigning on this issue ever since the Chancellor announced the payment would not be made last winter.
He voted against the Government’s plan and launched a petition calling for the payment to be restored.
Mr Mak said: "Taking away the Winter Fuel Payment was a cruel political decision that hit thousands of pensioners in the Havant Constituency, many of whom ended up facing a choice between heating and eating last winter.
"When I spoke to people on the doorstep there was a strong feeling that the Government was wrong to have removed the payment.
"While I'm pleased that putting pressure on the Government has resulted in it making a humiliating u-turn, it should now apologise to pensioners for its original disastrous decision."
If you believe the Government should apologise to pensioners, go to https://www.alanmak.org.uk/KeepWinterFuel
