Taunton and Wellington MP, Gideon Amos, has welcomed the government’s U-turn on Winter Fuel Payments to pensioners but said “they should have listened to Liberal Democrat and other MPs in the first place.”

Mr Amos launched a campaign last October after Labour announced that, in future, only people receiving Pension Credit would receive the payment.

He visited local residents and distributed information on how to claim across the constituency.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has now confirmed that more than three-quarters of pensioners will receive Winter Fuel Payments this year.

Mr Amos said: “The government should have listened to Liberal Democrat and other MPs who pointed out how flawed this policy was when it was launched.

“Ministers should have acted before so many pensioners in Taunton and Wellington were forced to choose between heating and eating last winter.

“There was never any excuse for taking this allowance away from hundreds of thousands of pensioners whose low income meant they were eligible for support.

“I’m pleased the government has now seen sense and is making these changes but they should have listened to the principled opposition we mounted at the time.

“We will be watching closely to ensure that older people in Somerset are not put in that position again.”

PHOTO: Gideon Amos with his Pension Credit leaflet.