Winter fuel payments: The UK towns where Rachel Reeves’ cruel cuts will hit the hardest

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has taken an axe to the log on the fire of pensioners’ winter fuel payments meaning almost 10 million will no longer receive them, and here we look at which areas will be most affected.

From this winter the much-needed extra money to help with energy bills will now be means tested meaning only those receiving pensions credit will get the top-up of between £100 to £300.

the huge cut is to help fill a “£22 billion black hole” left in the nation’s finances by the .

In England and Wales, only around 1.2 million pensioners are eligible for pension credit but more than 11.1 million were given the winter fuel benefit, meaning around 9.9 million could now be out of pocket.

The Scottish government announced it would follow Westminster with the cuts and said its own replacement scheme would also now be means tested.

Scroll down to see the top 15 areas hit hardest by the cuts…

It’s likely more affluent areas of Britain will be disproportionately affected when the benefit is axed, meaning areas like Hart in Hampshire could see 95.2 percent of pensioners lose the payment.

But in some more deprived areas, like Tower Hamlets in London, only around half of the elderly people in the borough will have their payments taken away.

, some locations which have previously been clashed as poorer will still suffer badly, with Blackpool and Middlesborough seeing a shocking 80 percent of OAPs losing the extra money for heating bills.

The , some Labour MPs, as well as the Liberal Democrats, charities and some unions, have all criticised the Chancellor’s plan to slash the benefit, but so far the government is refusing to reverse the decision.

According to Age UK, more than 800,000 people on the lowest incomes will no not receive the subsidy putting them at dire risk this winter.

Just as the payment cut was announced the energy regulator Ofgem also said it was increasing the cap on household heating bills, meaning effectively costs will go up by around 10 percent of all domestic customers.

And for the Autumn Budget on October 30, the Prime Minister has warned people they expect to “accept short-term pain for long-term good”.

Areas with highest percentage of pensioners losing the winter fuel payment

Hart (95.2%)

Isles of Scilly (95.40%)

Wokingham (95%)

Rutland (94.60%)

Vale of White Horse (94.50%)

Mole Valley (94.50%)

South Oxfordshire (94.40%)

East Hampshire (94.30%)

Ribble Valley (94.30%)

West Oxfordshire (94.20%)

Fareham (94.20%)

Waverley (94.20%)

Horsham (94.20%)

South Cambridgeshire (94.10%)

Surrey Heath (94%)