Halton's Labour and opposition councillors clashed over plans to scrap universal winter fuel payments, as it was claimed almost 20,000 pensioners in the borough are set to miss out.

At a lively meeting of full council held at Runcorn Town Hall last night (October 23), the borough's sole Conservative councillor Sian Davidson tabled a motion urging Labour council leader Mike Wharton to write to the Chancellor following her controversial decision to means test the payments - which had previously been available to all pensioners.

Winter fuel payments had been universally awarded to everyone over the age of 66 regardless of their financial status, with grants of up to £300 available to help pay for fuel bills.

But in the summer Chancellor Rachel Reeves said they would now be means tested in order to help plug a £22bn 'black hole' in the public finances. The move meant the payment will now be limited to people over state pension age who are receiving pension credit or some other benefits.

Cllr Davidson's motion also called on the council to campaign for greater awareness of pension credits for eligible pensioners who may not be claiming them. 

Notices of motion must be seconded before they are brought to the council, and with no other Conservatives in Halton  it was left to Liberal Democrat leader Margaret Ratcliffe to second it - a move which brought barbs from the Labour benches in reference to both parties' coalition years.

Cllr Davidson (Daresbury, Moore and Sandymoor) said: "The impact of this decision affects many of our borough's pensioners and according to data, it affects 19,809 pensioners across the borough who exist just above the threshold."

But the motion was dismissed, with Labour branding it 'political theatre' which had come 'straight from Tory HQ'.

Cllr Wharton said work was already being undertaken to increase awareness of pension credits.

He said: "What really makes this motion so hypocritical is that this means testing of the allowance was in a previous Tory manifesto. Yes Mr Mayor, the Tories had planned to bring in this policy, but they don't want pensioners to know that."

In what was something of a departure for a Halton full council meeting - which are usually known for their brevity and procedural nature - the debate continued for some time, with numerous other Labour councillors taking aim at the previous Government's record on the elderly and poverty in general, as well as the Lib Dems' previous stint in coalition.

And there was confusion at the end after as the mayor called a vote and when asking 'all those in favour say aye', there were loud 'ayes' from the Labour benches, who quickly realised they had been supposed to vote 'nay'.

With laughs and gasps rippling through the chamber, a perplexed-looking Mayor Kevan Wainwright then called the vote again. and this time a handful of ayes were drowned out by a resounding, collective combination of 'nay/no' and the motion was defeated.