Graham Stuart, Member of Parliament for Beverley and Holderness, visited St Ellen’s Court in Beverley to hear how the Winter Fuel Payment cut will affect them.
Over a delicious cup of coffee, Graham chatted to a dozen ladies about a range of pressing issues. They were unanimous in their opposition to the Chancellor’s decision to remove the Winter Fuel Payment, worth £300 to over 20,000 pensioners in Beverley and Holderness, with one lady telling Graham that she wasn’t using her heating at all at the moment as she was concerned about how she would pay for it.
He also heard that visitors, ambulances and delivery drivers sometimes struggle to find the premises using their sat nav. Graham has contacted Google to ask them to resolve this issue and will contact St Ellen’s when he receives a response.
During his visit he met Yvonne, who turned 100 years old earlier this year. He had a fantastic chat with her and learned that her secret to remaining active at her age is staying as independent as possible and getting out for walks in the fresh Yorkshire air. Graham hopes to be as energetic and full of life as Yvonne when he turns 100!
St Ellen’s Court in Beverley is a small Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust sheltered housing community for the over 55s and people living with disabilities. It provides one- and two-bedroom flats with a range of communal facilities including gardens and a community room which hosts activities such as coffee mornings and fundraising evenings.
Graham Stuart said: “The Government is wrong to cut the Winter Fuel Payment; I heard that loud and clear from the residents at St Ellen’s Court who will suffer as a result of the Chancellor’s decision. After the Conservatives hauled 200,000 people out of poverty, it’s a slap in the face for some of the poorest pensioners to have this lifeline taken away. Sign my petition and make our voice heard as loud as possible.”
You can sign Graham's petition here: Keep Pensioners Warm | Graham Stuart MP
