Harrow Council has vowed to “replace” the Winter Fuel Payment for struggling pensioners after Labour’s controversial decision to scrap the support for millions.
The north London council said it will support those who are in receipt of council tax support but not eligible for pension credit.
The Government announced changes to the scheme ahead of this winter so it will be means tested and no longer be paid to all pensioners.
From this year, the Winter Fuel Payments will only be made available to those pensioners on low incomes who receive certain benefits. Harrow Council has now pledged to use the Household Support Fund to provide additional support to 1,342 residents who would narrowly miss out on the allowance.
The council has announced that the borough's 'least well-off pensioners' will benefit from the latest £1.5m government investment in local cost-of-living projects, which was recently approved by the council's Cabinet. The funds will also go towards 'supporting young families, care leavers, and those in debt'.
Residents of state pension age who no longer qualify for a Winter Fuel Payment but receive Council Tax Support, a benefit for low-income households, will get a letter with further information. Each will receive £200, rising to £300 for the over 80s - the same amount as the Winter Fuel Payment.
Harrow's Cabinet Member for Performance, Communications and Customer Experience, Cllr Stephen Greek, said: "Supporting vulnerable people is at the heart of all we do. We're concerned that, since the Government announced changes to Winter Fuel Payments, some pensioners in Harrow will miss out, even though they're on a low income."
He added: "We've found 1,300 local people in that situation and this year will replace that payment of up to £300 for them. Alongside we're helping older people to make sure they're getting all the benefits they're entitled to, especially Pension Credit."
The Government payment will also provide further help to families that receive free school meals, who will continue to receive vouchers to help with the cost of food outside of term time. The money will also go to support care leavers moving into independent accommodation, clear rent arrears of people seeking debt support, and assist local advice services.
The leader of Harrow Labour, Cllr David Perry, said: "The Labour Group in Harrow have a longstanding record of supporting our most vulnerable residents in Harrow. I fully support the use of the Labour Government Household Support Grant funding to the council being used to support local pensioners and the thousands of other residents who rely on this vital support."
A number of other councils have vowed to fund the winter fuel allowance for pensioners set to lose the payments, including Tower Hamlets.
