Labour activists and party members voted to reverse the removal of the lifeline of up to £300 cut from around 10 million pensioners this winter.
Sir Keir Starmer has already “lost the support” of the Labour Party, the Conservatives said, after the Chancellor’s humiliating defeat on the winter fuel payment issue.
A Conservative source said: “Mr Starmer has lost the support of the Labour Party, its MPs and donors.”
Shadow pensions secretary Mel Stride added: “Labour is trying to lift people out of poverty, but they claim it is because they chose to do so.” Cutting winter fuel payments from millions of vulnerable pensioners to repay contributions to Labour.
“No wonder Labour suffered a shameful defeat at the hands of its members in the vote on winter fuel payments.
“Instead of saying pensioners should be grateful, Labour should apologise and reverse this shameful policy decision.”
The vote at Wednesday’s Labour conference in Liverpool is not binding on the Government and ministers have already made it clear that policy will not change.
But Sir Keir’s own MPs, trade unionists and pensioners called for a reversal of course in Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves’s budget proposals on 30 October.
Labour MP Rachel Maskell said: “I am proud that the Labour conference voted in favour of maintaining the winter grant.
Our party was founded to protect workers and today we are determined that we must never back down from that mission. I believe the Government will now keep pensioners safe and warm.”
But Sir Keir’s party reiterated its decision to cut grants for the elderly despite the vote.
A Labour spokesman said: “The Conservatives have wrecked our economy and left a £22bn black hole in our finances. They made promises they couldn’t pay, covered it up and ran away.
“Labour was elected on the promise of sound fiscal rules. Economic growth is our number one imperative and we will now take the hard decisions to build Britain back better and make every part of the country better.”
Previously, anyone over the statutory retirement age was entitled to the Winter Grant.
But older people can now only receive it if they have Pension Credit.
The Treasury has announced that the changes to the Winter Grant will reduce the number of pensioners receiving the grant from 11.4 million to 1.5 million.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham made a strong case for the reintroduction of the grant at yesterday’s (MIT) conference, drawing widespread applause.
She said: “People just don’t understand, I don’t understand, how a new Labour government can cut pensioners’ winter allowances and leave the super-rich alone.
“This is not what the people voted for. This is the wrong decision and it must be overturned.”
The motion passed narrowly and there was some upset in the room over the decision, with some delegates feeling it had gone in the other direction.
Sir Keir did not attend the policy debate as he had flown to New York the previous evening to attend a UN summit.
Earlier this week, trade unions had harshly criticised the Labour Party for trying to “silence” pensioners and avoid humiliation by blocking a crucial vote due for Monday.
The vote was then relegated to a “graveyard” on the day of the conference, when most people had left and all the major political speeches had finished.
Fran Heathcote, general secretary of the public and commercial services union, said: “Trade unions and party members have sent a message to the Labour leadership that they were wrong on this one.
“Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves should listen to pensioners, trade unions and their own party and reverse these unnecessary cuts.
“You should listen to yourself too. Just before the election, Labour attacked Conservative ministers who proposed cuts to the Winter Grant, promising to “stand by pensioners who have been let down by the Conservatives”.
Trust in politics has never been lower. Keir Starmer has vowed to restore honesty and integrity to Downing Street after years of scandal. He should be mature enough to hold his hands up, admit he was wrong on this and change course. People will respect that openness.”
Yet Sir Keir has refused to apologise four times for the Winter Grant cuts.
The Prime Minister was repeatedly asked about the matter in an interview with Good Morning Britain but refused to apologise.
Alan Tate of the Communications Workers Union (CWU) said the cuts to the winter fuel subsidy had “cast a shadow over” the New Labour government’s efforts.
He said: “The CWU has been inundated with emails and calls from retired members who are struggling to choose between heating and eating.”
Dozens of pensioners gathered outside the venue on Monday to vent their anger at the Chancellor’s decision.
At least 1.6 million disabled people, including 70% of disability pensioners who previously received the winter fuel subsidy, will lose their subsidy under the new rules.
Currently, around 800,000 elderly people have not applied for pension credit, even though they are entitled to receive a pension.
The government is working with charities, local authorities and broadcasters to ensure that as many eligible people as possible receive support payments and heating allowances this winter.
Earlier this month the government won a vote of 348 to 228 (a majority of 120) for its plans to restrict payments to all but the poorest pensioners.
52 Labour MPs did not take part in the vote, including seven of the ministers. But it is unclear how many deliberately abstained from voting or stayed away from parliament for other reasons.
Only one Labour MP, John Trickett, voted against the government in the vote, saying it could be a “matter of life and death” for his constituents.
After yesterday’s vote, the former front-runner added that he “was not able to persuade trade unions and party delegates to vote in favour of cutting the winter heating subsidy”. The conference was a voice in support of poor pensioners.”
