Advice for older people affected by cold weather will be given out later this year after vital benefits to help with the cost of fuel are expected to be taken away from them by the government.
Age UK Carlisle and Eden will October 1 host an event at The Lanes shopping centre from 10am to 3pm to offer advice and support for winter, signing people up for free home energy checks, and giving away winter warmth packs.
Under the plans announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in July, winter fuel payments will be restricted to those receiving pension credit, meaning around 10million pensioners will lose out this winter.
Labour said the decision was necessary to fill the ‘black hole’ in the public finances.
"It’s not a decision I wanted to make," Chancellor Reeves said.
Carlisle MP Julie Minns has declined to comment on how she intends to vote, and why, on the bill later today.
Age UK has launched an emergency petition to help save the payment for struggling pensioners, receiving hundreds of thousands of signatures.
The charity said that means-testing the WFP this winter, with virtually no notice and no compensatory measures to protect the poor and vulnerable pensioners who will miss out, is the wrong policy decision and will lead to hardship and distress.
READ MORE: Labour's plan for winter fuel payment cuts criticised by other parties
The benefit was previously available to almost everyone in the UK born before September 25, 1957, to help cover their heating costs.
However, from this winter only those on pension credit or means-tested benefits will get the winter fuel payment.
Across the Cumberland Council area, just over 10,000 residents are set to receive the payments down from the 115,578 who receive them now.
Age UK added that this hit to many poor and vulnerable pensioners as a result of this decision is not the only one they will receive this year when it comes to help with paying their energy bills.
Pensioners will have up to £600 less this winter in Government support with their heating bills compared to last year because the cost-of-living payments brought in temporarily by the previous government have stopped.
Energy bills for a typical household are currently £1,568, around 29 per cent above their winter 2021/22 level.
It is expected they will go up again in October if the energy price cap increases, the charity said.
Are you among those set to lose out on the winter fuel payment?
Are you affected? Is someone you know? We want to hear how people will be affected by the loss of the winter fuel payment. Get in touch and tell us your story.
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