Old and cold in the countryside

The following feature first appeared in the most recent edition of Landworker – you can read the full issue online here.

The government’s decision to cut Winter Fuel Allowance – a previously universal entitlement for retired people – has provoked a collective outcry, and rightly so.

Critics say that to limit the benefit to only those claiming Pension Credit or another means-tested benefit is a disaster in the making. That’s because it will deny millions of pensioners who earn above the threshold but who still struggle financially a vital lifeline, especially in an age of sky-high fuel bills. 

Even for those who are entitled to Pension Credit, it is estimated that around 880,000 fail to claim the benefit each year.

And what makes the cut to Winter Fuel Allowance even more insidious is the fact that some will be hit harder than others because of circumstances beyond their control. Among these will be rural pensioners, who according to a new analysis will be the worst affected – simply for living in the countryside.

The analysis by the Countryside Alliance, using the government’s own figures, highlights that people living in rural areas face higher rates of fuel poverty – at more than 15 per cent – than those living in semi-rural areas or urban areas, who face fuel poverty rates of 12.5 per cent and 12.8 per cent respectively.

Rural communities suffer the highest fuel poverty gap, which now stands at £778. This is the amount that a fuel-poor household must earn extra each year in order to escape fuel poverty.

Much of what is driving fuel poverty in the countryside is the high number of rural homes not attached to the grid. These homes must rely on coal or oil for heating, both of which are significantly more expensive than using grid-connected fuel sources like gas or electricity. Off-grid homes face a fuel poverty gap of £801, greater than the already significant gap facing rural homes as a whole.

But it’s not simply the higher rates of fuel poverty alone that will mean rural pensioners are hardest hit by the cut to Winter Fuel Allowance. Higher fuel bills are only one of a number of challenges rural communities face.

Unite retired members Scottish Borders branch vice chair Alexander ‘Eck’ Barclay (pictured below) is intimately acquainted with the harsh realities of rural life. 

Eck grew up in a small village a few miles south of Hawick, where he lives now. Hawick is the largest town in the Scottish Borders, with a population of only 13,000. The Scottish Borders covers a significant geographical area – nearly 5,000 square km– but is home to only just over a total of 100,000 people.

“It is very rural and hilly here – you’ve got a few small towns and surrounding it all is farmland and forest land,” Eck told Landworker.

After returning home from the army as a young man, Eck soon discovered how difficult it was to get a steady job in such a rural area.

“I had a few jobs over the years, including as a woodcutter for the Forestry Commission and a lorry driver for a time.”

Eck eventually landed stable, long-term employment as a school janitor for the Scottish Borders Council, where he worked until his retirement.

“I was lucky,” Eck said, noting that not much has changed in the Scottish Borders since he was a young person – unemployment is still high, and decent jobs are hard to come by. This lack of opportunity for working-age people persists as poverty in retirement.

Rural areas

“There are many folk in our rural areas who depend solely on the state pension. We’re of that generation when the state pension for many people was all you got. Again, I was lucky with my council pension. How people are meant to survive on the state pension of 12 and a half grand a year is beyond me.”

Eck has witnessed firsthand what the Countryside Alliance reported in its analysis.

“The housing stock in the towns isn’t too bad, but once you start going out into the villages, there are all sorts of different homes – like farm cottages heated by a coal fire in the sitting room with a back boiler. You’d be surprised by how many of these homes still exist.”

Compounding the problem is that in rural areas like the Scottish Borders, winters can be significantly colder than in urban areas, which benefit from what’s called the ‘urban heat island’ effect.

“The more rural you get in the Scottish Borders, the colder the conditions are – up in the higher grounds, you reliably get snow and ice every winter,” Eck noted.

Eck added that it angers him that the Winter Fuel Allowance is seen as a handout by the government rather than an entitlement.

“Pensioners have worked their entire lives, many in very difficult jobs – state pensions and related entitlements are things you’ve earned. You shouldn’t have to fill out a 24-page document to get your £300 so you don’t die from
the cold.”

Eck was referring to the paperwork involved in applying for Pension Credit, now that receiving the Winter Fuel Allowance is contingent on it. And this is another arena in which Eck says rural pensioners will be particularly affected.

“Digital exclusion is rampant in rural areas across the UK,” Eck noted. “If you’re an older person who doesn’t have a computer or isn’t comfortable using one, you’ll need help filling out the forms. But to get the help you need, you’ll need to go to the nearest town, which might be 20 miles away. If there is public transport, it’s a blooming marathon getting from A to B. And once you do get to B, you might go to your local Citizens Advice, which is already snowed under. You can’t win.”

Indeed, since chancellor Rachel Reeves first announced the cut to Winter Fuel Allowance in July, there has been a surge of Pension Credit applications, with a growing backlog. In mid-November, there were around 90,000 unprocessed claims, with around 9,000 being processed each week. There are fears that thousands of people have missed out on Winter Fuel Allowance this winter even if they applied for the benefit because of processing delays.

“Quite frankly I believe people will die as a direct result of this cut,” Eck said. “Pensioners are already dealing with higher food prices and fuel bills, which have gone up again in January. I think it’s disgraceful that pensioners are being forced to go cap in hand to the government just to keep warm.”

As grim as the situation is, Eck emphasised that he couldn’t be prouder to be part of Unite, which has played a leading role in campaigning against the cut to Winter Fuel Allowance.

Last September, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham gave a stirring speech as she moved a motion calling for a reversal to the cut at Labour Party Conference.

Despite Labour Party attempts to block the motion, it was passed in an important symbolic victory. Unite has also organised protests up and down the country on the issue, galvanizing its retired, industrial and community members like never before.

And most recently, Unite is now taking the fight to reverse the government’s cut all the way to the High Court with a judicial review. Commenting on the court case, Sharon Graham said, “Labour’s decision to pick the pocket of pensioners was wrong on every level. The government has been given every opportunity to reverse its decision and it has failed to do so.

“This is a rushed, ill-thought-out policy and the government clearly failed to follow the proper legal measures before executing it. With winter approaching the courts must now hold the government to account and reverse this cruel cut as quickly as possible.”

Eck praised Unite’s work on the issue.

“If it weren’t for Sharon Graham standing up at Labour conference, this issue would have been forgotten about. We’re the only union campaigning on the Winter Fuel Allowance – Unite is leading the way showing that they care about their retired members. It’s fantastic seeing that support and solidarity.”

By Hajera Blagg

Photos by Craig Maclean

You can find out more about Unite’s campaign to reinstate the Winter Fuel Allowance here.