A PENSIONER said she was so 'incensed' by the cuts to the winter fuel allowance that she is organising a protest in Barrow town centre. 

Anne Bispham, 80, said she had never been involved in demonstrations before but is now leading a 'peaceful' one at Barrow Town Hall at 1pm on Saturday, October 5.

She said: "It's gone down really, really badly. It's as though we're singled out - I think it's disgraceful. I'm fighting for the ones that probably can't for themselves.

"Pensioners are being treated as second-class citizens, disrespected and made to feel non-entities - we matter."

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves during the Labour Party ConferenceChancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves during the Labour Party Conference (Image: Stefan Rousseau/PA)

People in England and Wales not in receipt of pension credit or other means-tested benefits will lose out under the Government’s policy, which will go ahead after a vote to block the cuts was voted down on September 10.

Most people will get the payments, worth up to £300, automatically if they are eligible. 

The payments were given to 11.6 million people last year, 500,000 more than in 2020-21 according to Department for Work and Pensions figures. Around 10 million will lose the allowance. 

READ MORE: Barrow Transformation Fund to be considered at spending review

Chancellor Rachel Reeves insisted 'tough decisions' on public finances are needed to prevent economic ruin at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool. The party say there is a £22 billion 'black hole' in public finances. 

Campaigners staged a protest outside the conference on the winter fuel payment issue on Wednesday morning. The Unite and Communications Workers Union have put forward a motion pressing the party to reverse means testing the allowance. 

One of the MPs who voted with the Government to keep the cuts was Barrow's Michelle Scrogham. 

She said at the time: "I've spent the past weeks both upset and furiously angry to be faced with it. The last Government made commitments it couldn’t pay for, covered it up and then ran away knowing someone else would have to deal with it."

Former Conservative chancellor Jeremy Hunt accused Ms Reeves of 'not having a plan' and damaging the UK's international reputation by talking down her inheritance.