SIR KEIR STARMER was told to “find your moral compass” after a study revealed today that more than four in five pensioners set to lose their winter fuel allowance are already in poverty.

Research by Age UK found 82 per cent of the 10.7 million people who will lose their £300 benefit have a household income under 60 per cent of average, or just above the poverty line.

The charity also found 78 per cent of pensioners with a disability – 1.1m people – are living in the same circumstances.

Age UK charity director Caroline Abrahams said it had carried out an equality impact assessment on the policy as the government had failed to publish one.

“Unfortunately, the research supports our worst fears – that unless ministers change tack and quickly, millions of older people on low and modest incomes could be facing potential disaster as the weather chills,” she said.

National Pensioners Convention (NPC) general secretary Jan Shortt said there is “great anger” among the organisation’s members.

“The root cause of pensioner poverty is the most inadequate state pension in the Western world,” she told the Morning Star.

Pensioners’ energy bills have increased by 131 per cent since 2021 while the state pension remains at around half the earnings of a minimum wage worker, she said.

“But it isn’t just about pensioners now – workers are the pensioners of tomorrow and what we get or lose now they get or lose in the future … we fear that there’s worse to come.

“We contribute over £160 billion into the Treasury every year and then you’ve got people contributing in kind because they will take care of grandchildren because childcare costs are so astronomical.

“Charities will say to you without older people they cannot function, but this government gives no value or worth to the fact that even though we are not working, we are still contributing financially and socially to this country.”

Addressing the government, she said: “Find your moral compass, you need to take a step back and what we want to see is a government that is absolutely committed to tackling poverty, not creating it like it has done with this cut.” 

A government spokesman said: “We are committed to supporting pensioners – with millions set to see their state pension rise by up to £1,700 this parliament through our commitment to the Triple Lock.”