00:00Today we've come here to show our support for some of the most vulnerable people in our society, our pensioners.
00:07The UK Labour government's decision to remove the winter fuel payments has placed an additional and unacceptable burden on the elderly here in Wales.
00:16For pensioners in Brecon and Radnorshire, the removal will mean 23,898 people will lose their support.
00:24That support is not just a nice thing to have. For many, it's a matter of survival.
00:31Winter fuel payments have long been a vital lifeline for our older people, helping them to heat their homes during the cold winter months.
00:38Without it, pensioners face the harsh reality of rising fuel costs.
00:43Across the UK, energy bills have increased due to the war in Ukraine, and the cost of everything is rising.
00:51At that time, the Labour Party, which said it's there to support people, has decided to punish pensioners by taking away most of the support they have.
01:01Many pensioners live on fixed incomes, often relying on modest pensions that barely cover the essentials.
01:09In Wales, nearly one in five pensioners live in poverty, with many already struggling to get the basic needs.
01:16They are not all well off, as some Members think they are. Most are struggling and are living week to week.
01:23In rural Wales, where rural isolation is already a significant issue, the impact, I think, is even more profound.
01:31Rural fuel poverty in Wales is significantly higher than in urban areas.
01:36Many elderly residents live off-grid and far from support networks, and it makes it even harder for them to access the support when they need it.
01:45Without these payments, our pensioners are at risk of fuel poverty, forced to live in freezing conditions that jeopardise their health and wellbeing.
01:55As has already been said, 4,000 pensioners could potentially die because of this decision, and I think most of them will be in rural areas.
02:04These people are our parents, they're our grandparents, they're our neighbours and our friends.
02:11We owe them more than a cold winter at home and empty promises.
02:16They built and fought for the communities that we all call home.
02:20They deserve to live out their retirement in comfort and security, supported by a country that they have supported their whole lives.
02:30What they don't deserve from this Labour Government in Westminster is to live in fear of hypothermia and crippling debt at home.
02:39Today, I implore this Welsh Labour Government to take decisive action.
02:45We cannot in this Senate sit idly by while the most vulnerable members of our community in Wales are left to fend for themselves.
02:52The Welsh Government must step in where the Labour Government in Westminster has failed.
02:58Whether it's through a Welsh version of the winter fuel payments, expanding existing support schemes or working with local councils to provide direct assistance,
03:08we must quickly act to support our pensioners this winter.
03:13The First Minister has said on a number of occasions since taking post that she will put Wales first and her party second.
03:21This is the time to walk the walk and not talk the talk.
03:27I say to Labour Members today, back our pensioners, back Wales and vote for this motion before you today.
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