THERE is growing concern and confusion amongst pensioners ahead of the upcoming winter  after the North's Executive confirmed that it would follow the UK government's decision to means test Winter Fuel Payment.

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons confirmed that Stormont will be following Westminster's lead when it comes to winter fuel payments for pensioners. Labour  Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced the payments of up to £300 would be restricted to those people receiving Pension Credit or other means-tested benefits.

DUP man Lyons said he did not agree with the move but "regrettably there is no additional resource available in the budget to allow us to diverge from the UK Government decision".

Responding to the news, pensioners at the Tuesday Club at Glen Community Centre in Lenadoon said they believed the upcoming winter would be made much harsher by the decision to means-test the Winter Fuel Payment and feared many pensioners were confused by the news and unable to work out if they will be eligible.

Theresa Boyle, a member of the Tuesday Club, said: “There are pensioners out there who desperately, desperately need their fuel allowance and there are many pensioners who also don’t even know how to access it or access any other help now that it’s been taken away. 

“A lot of pensioners have been cutting back on other essentials now in order to save up enough money to be able to get them through the winter. We are lucky because we can get out and about and we can come here every Tuesday, but there are those who aren’t mobile and last winter they were piling hot water bottles around their feet just to stay warm.”

Teresa Hyland, who helps run the Tuesday Club, said: “I really don’t think it’s fair and I think the politicians should be taking money off themselves to help pay for it, they’re taking away from people who have worked their whole lives for this and they are entitled to be warm at winter."

She added: “I thought Labour were meant to be for the people and I don’t think many people realised they were going to remove this. There are some people out there on very big pensions who don’t need the payments but they’re not down here."

Others at the club expressed the confusion felt by pensioners and feared for those who were isolated or didn't have family members who were able to help them navigate the bureaucracy, to see if they were going to have to do without.

Teresa McIlhatton, also of the Tuesday Club, said: “They haven’t made any of this clear, there are a lot of pensioners who don’t know whether they’re getting [their allowance] or not and wouldn’t know how to find out until they see it hasn't come in. There are many out there who will be dreading this winter coming.

"We need people from the government to help pensioners find out how they can claim and how they can get the help they need.

“I think it’s very unfair.”

West Belfast MLA Gerry Carroll has condemned the decision.

“The Communities Minister is trying to shift the blame for this decision onto Westminster, but the truth is that they are both culpable," he said. "Stormont and Westminster should roll back on this cut-throat decision which will cause untold harm in working class communities."