Winter fuel payments: Welsh Labour minister defends cuts

Other than the minister, Mike Hedges, MS for Swansea East, was the only other politician from Labour to speak.

He appeared to accuse the Conservatives of hypocrisy, by reminding Darren Millar of his opposition to universal free prescriptions, and questioned why wealthy people should receive the payment.

“Do Paul McCartney, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Elton John, Sting, Mick Jagger need it? No.

“I could go on for the next four minutes with naming people who are very wealthy, who don’t need it.”

Andrew RT Davies, Welsh Conservative Senedd leader, asked about the “guy who works in our local iron mongers who is going to find himself £13 over the threshold” for pension credit, “so he’s going to lose that £300?”

After Mr Davies raised concerns about premature deaths, Mr Hedges added: “We don’t know how many people are going to die this winter. You can’t know.”

He added that the cut off point for the receipt of pension credit is wrong, and said it would be fairer if all pensioners got it but that it was dependent on earnings.