Following huge public support for his petition to keep the Winter Fuel Payment for pensioners not in receipt of Pension Credit, Graham has launched a campaign to Protect Our Pensioners.
The Protect Our Pensioners campaign will bring together those who care about older people and have a loud voice, through their campaigning MP, in Parliament.
Graham campaigned to be a loud voice for pensioners in his General Election campaign and has always been a friend to pensioners in Beverley and Holderness.
Labour has already been forced to accept a vote on the Winter Fuel Payments, worth between £200 and £300 to pensioners, which will take place in the House of Commons on September 10th. Graham will be present for the vote, and hopes to speak in the debate.
In the past week, the government has also refused to rule out keeping the Single Person Discount on Council Tax, worth around £400 to a pensioner living alone in a Band B property in Beverley.
The Conservative government protected the Winter Fuel Payment throughout its 14 years in office, in addition to introducing the Pension Triple Lock. Labour plans to means test the Payment by linking it to Pension Credit, meaning pensioners on £219 a week will miss out on the vital payment.
Graham is hosting a campaign session against means testing the Winter Fuel Payments on Toll Gavel in Beverley on Friday 13th September at 3.30pm. Residents can sign up at grahamstuart.com/ProtectOurPensioners.
Graham Stuart said: “Pensioners are one of the most vulnerable groups in society. It’s to the previous government’s credit that we pulled millions of pensioners out of poverty.
“So I’m disappointed that Labour hasn’t learnt the lessons of its previous time in government.
“With the Protect Our Pensioners campaign I hope to have thousands of voices behind me to make sure that whatever the government does, it won’t be able to ignore pensioners in Beverley and Holderness.”