Sam Rowlands, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, fears for the health of pensioners in Wales after Labour ministers refused to back a Conservative motion.
This week the Welsh Conservatives submitted a Senedd motion calling on the UK Government to reverse its decision to end the universal Winter fuel payment but this move was narrowly defeated.
Mr Rowlands, Shadow Health Minister said he was very concerned about the impact the removal of the allowance would have on pensioners in Wales.
He said:
Ending this Winter fuel payment for some pensioners is going to have a negative impact on the health of our older people here in Wales, and will certainly compound the issues when it comes to ever increasing waiting lists.
We know that, according to the Department for Work and Pensions, the equality analysis of this policy of slashing this means that 1.6 million disabled people across the UK will lose their payments, 71% of those who were entitled to it. That’s going to make a significant impact across the UK, but certainly here in Wales as well.
I was very disappointed with the result of the vote and I did ask the Minister responsible whether she was proud of the policy to remove the winter fuel payments from 400,000 pensioners.
She told members that there were other benefits older people could access, however, there are many who will not be entitled to any help.
I am really worried that this unpopular ruling will seriously affect the health of many older people in Wales and of course this will have a knock on affect with our already under pressure health service.
Sam Rowlands AS yn anhapus gyda chanlyniad pleidlais yn y Senedd am y taliadau tanwydd gaeaf
Mae Sam Rowlands, yr Aelod o’r Senedd dros y Gogledd, yn poeni am iechyd pensiynwyr yng Nghymru wedi i weinidogion Llafur wrthod cefnogi cynnig y Ceidwadwyr.
Yr wythnos hon cyflwynodd y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig gynnig yn y Senedd yn galw ar Lywodraeth y DU i ailystyried ei phenderfyniad i ddod â’r taliadau tanwydd Gaeaf cyffredinol i ben ond trechwyd y cynnig o drwch blewyn.
Dywedodd Mr Rowlands, Gweinidog Iechyd yr Wrthblaid, ei fod yn bryderus iawn am yr effaith y byddai cael gwared ar y lwfans yn ei chael ar bensiynwyr yng Nghymru.
Meddai:
Mae dod â'r taliad tanwydd gaeaf i ben i rai pensiynwyr yn mynd i gael effaith negyddol ar iechyd ein pobl hŷn yma yng Nghymru, a bydd yn sicr yn gwaethygu problemau rhestrau aros cynyddol.
Rydyn ni’n gwybod, yn ôl yr Adran Gwaith a Phensiynau, fod dadansoddiad cydraddoldeb o'r polisi tocio hwn yn golygu y bydd 1.6 miliwn o bobl anabl ledled y DU yn colli eu taliadau, 71% o'r rhai a oedd â’r hawl iddo. Mae hynny'n mynd i gael effaith sylweddol ar draws y DU, ond yn sicr yma yng Nghymru hefyd.
Roeddwn i’n siomedig iawn gyda chanlyniad y bleidlais ac fe ofynnais i'r Gweinidog sy'n gyfrifol a oedd hi'n falch o'r polisi i gael gwared ar daliadau tanwydd gaeaf 400,000 o bensiynwyr.
Dywedodd wrth yr aelodau fod budd-daliadau eraill y gallai pobl hŷn fanteisio arnyn nhw, fodd bynnag, mae llawer na fydd ganddyn nhw hawl i unrhyw gymorth.
Rwy'n bryderus iawn y bydd y penderfyniad amhoblogaidd hwn yn effeithio'n ddifrifol ar iechyd llawer o bobl hŷn yng Nghymru ac wrth gwrs bydd hyn yn cael effaith ar ein gwasanaeth iechyd sydd eisoes dan bwysau.
