Rt Hon Dr Denis MacShane

Labour Party | Rotherham

15,000 To Gain in Rotherham From Extra Winter Fuel Benefit

Nearly 15,000 Rotherham residents are winners from the budget as winter fuel payments increase for pensioners. People over age 60 living in the constituency of Denis MacShane MP will get a £50 increase to £250. People aged 80 or over will win an extra £100 to help with winter fuel bills taking the benefit to £400.

Together with people over 60 in Rother Valley and Wentworth constituencies, this means that 50,000 homes with people over 60 living in them will benefit from new help with winter fuel payments.

“This shows Labour redistributing money to where it is needed,” MacShane told a meeting of Rotherham Labour party members today (14th March)

The MP revealed further figures aimed at helping poor families and children in his constituency.

- 2,319 parents have opened Child Trust Fund accounts for their newly born children building up a nest egg for when the child reaches 18

- 9,300 people receive working tax or child tax credits to allow them to work while increasing their income. Of course there are problems but I am proud that we have provided this new benefit for families which did not exist 10 years ago

- 6,120 pensioners receive the pension credit – again a major step to tackle the pensioner poverty which grew year-on-year under the Tories

- 10,120 families receive child benefit in the constituency

- Under the New Deal, 3,890 upto to May 2007 have been helped into jobs under the New Deal

- In South Yorkshire, 234,830 people have been issued with bus passes

“These are figures which show how, step-by-step, Labour is helping those who need help in the constituency. The rich and those with better incomes like MPs are now paying a fairer share. If you add in the population of the two other Rotherham constituencies, Rother Valley and Wentworth, one can see a major investment in social justice and fairness for people who were ignored or treated with contempt in the harsh years of the 1980s and upto the election of a Labour government in 1997.

“The world economic picture is taking a turn for the worse and Britain cannot opt out of any global economic down-turn. But I believe that when the going gets rough it is a duty to protect the poorest and most vulnerable. The figures above show a start has been made and I worry that any threat to Labour nationally or locally will see a reversal of this commitment to help the poor and those who need support,” MacShane added.