Outrage as winter fuel payment cruelly snatched away from hero nuclear test veteran, 86

A brave veteran who risked his life during harrowing nuclear tests now faces the bitter cold of winter after his only comfort - the winter fuel payment - was cruelly snatched away.

Cancer survivor Jack Barlow is one of a few living servicemen who were stationed at Christmas Island, in the Indian Ocean, testing atomic bombs.

And he is now one of up to 10million pensioners left devastated after Chancellor Rachel Reeves stripped retirees like him of the vital lifeline.

At 86 years old, Jack has survived bladder cancer and suffers chronic arthritis. Yet his only reward for his service from the nation was a Nuclear Test Medal pushed through the letterbox "along with the junk mail" last year.

The despairing grandfather from Sandbach, Cheshire, told how he was "just over the threshold" to qualify for the fuel allowance, leaving him and his wife Sylvia, 71, with no support as temperatures plummet.

He endured his national service with no protection or training - and now he once again has no extra defences from the cold.

Mr Barlow, who has "never claimed a penny" from the state, said: "I was on Christmas Island seven miles from four atomic bombs. I got a medal last year that was pushed through the letterbox with the rest of the junk and [the axed winter fuel payment] is the reward I'm getting which I'm really annoyed about.

"I would say to Rachel Reeves that if she was forced to do what I was forced to do, she would change her mind on taking away the winter fuel allowance for all pensioners."

Mr Barlow was 18 years old when he was deployed to Christmas Island as part of his national service for the Royal Air Force from June 1958 to July 1959 during Operation Grapple.

The bomb tests assured British military power during the Cold War.

Mr Barlow said: "I don't want to claim any benefits. I never have done. I'm crippled with arthritis. I've been on Christmas Island testing bombs. I got cancer, I had an operation to remove the cancer which was successful. I did get a medal last year for testing atomic bombs but it was just pushed through the letter box with the rest of the junk. It wasn't even presented to me.

"The winter fuel allowance just made that difference to me because that's my reward for what I've done for the country."

He recalled his "frightening" year spent on the tropical island - which was covered in grass, scrub and coconut plantations - as a boy.

Mr Barlow said: "I was only 18 years of age and it was really, really frightening. You didn't know whether the bomb was going to hit the island and blow you up and we'd all be dead.

"When I got back it took me a while to get over it because I was thinking about it all the time. It was quite frightening. They wouldn't dare do it today."

Mr Barlow lived in a tent for 12 months, washing and showering in sea water.

When he returned to the UK, he worked for a company for several years before deciding to get a bank loan and open a fish and chip shop.

He ran the store for 25 years and lived above it, eventually saving £15,000 to buy an annuity which gives him £41.77 a week on top of the state pension.

The father of two now lives in a bungalow with his wife of 21 years.

Mr Barlow said: "I never claimed any benefits in my life. I put a little bit of money on one side which I managed to save. When I retired, I bought an annuity which pays me £41.77 per week but that added to my state pension, means I'm just over the threshold where I cannot claim any benefits. I don't want to either.

"I don't know what we'll do this winter. I'm going to have to put more clothing on and wrap up in blankets I suppose.

"We'll have to spend less in other ways or not have the heating on because we've got to eat. We'll just have to cut down as much as we can."

WASPI woman Sylvia, one of 3.8million females born in the 1950s hit by moves to lift their retirement age into line with men, also voiced her frustration at the Government's decision.

She said: "It's made us very angry. Other people are able to claim benefits. We can't do that and we don't want to. We were quite happy as we were but this is just something that's going to make things different for us."

Mr Barlow took aim at Labour's decision to give pay rises to train drivers and junior doctors while vulnerable pensioners freeze.

Labour is axing the universal allowance, which is £200 for pensioners under 80 and £300 for those over, to save £1.5billion nationally.

Instead, only retirees who receive pension credit or other means-tested benefits will receive payments this year.

The Express crusade to save the payment has been supported by MPs from across the Commons.

About 780,000 pensioners who need the winter fuel payment will lose out on it when Labour begins means-testing the benefit, according to the Government's own equality analysis.

Meanwhile, an estimated 71% of the 1.6million disabled people who received winter fuel payments will be hit, documents snuck out last Friday evening revealed.

On Thursday, the Government was accused of refusing to publish a poverty analysis highlighting the impact of its decision.

A Freedom of Information request made to the Treasury in August asked it to provide "the full internal policy impact assessment" or "any analysis associated with the poverty impacts of this policy" that was provided to ministers in advance of the announcement to scrap this benefit.

In its response, the Treasury confirmed it did hold the information requested, but refused to provide it.

It used an exemption to claim that since it was part of the "formulation or development of government policy", more time was needed to determine whether its publication was in the "public interest".

Laura Trott MP, Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said: "It is disgraceful that the Treasury has a hidden analysis, which they are refusing to publish, which will show the terrible impact on 10million pensioners of the cruel decision to scrap winter fuel payments.

"Once again, this is more damning analysis that the Labour Government did everything they could to hide from the public and parliament - but they cannot hide from the consequences. They must now do the right thing and publish it immediately."

The Prime Minister and Ms Reeves have insisted the decision was necessary to help address a £22billion "black hole" in the public finances this year they said they inherited from the Conservatives.

-The Express will continue to champion pensioners' concerns over the axing of the winter fuel payment. To contact us and share your story, please email steph.spyro@reachplc.com

By Dennis Reed, director of Silver Voices

The depressing story of ex-RAF veteran and cancer survivor Jack Barlow, facing a harsh winter with his wife because his winter fuel payment has been scrapped, is the tip of the iceberg.

Labour will face a torrent of such sad stories throughout the winter unless it rethinks this unnecessary and brutal policy.

Every time there is an instance of wasted Government spending or funding for a vainglorious project, every media outlet in the country will be contrasting this expenditure with their penny-pinching actions on winter fuel.

Every time MPs salaries and allowances are highlighted, there will be a reference to the £200-£300 stolen from 10 million older people. The Prime Minister has already had a taste of public anger over his excessive freebie bill, aggravated to a considerable extent by the way his Government appears to be targeting pensioners to pay for the woes of the economy.

As evidence emerges of the cruel impact of the decision, which was railroaded through Parliament before any impact assessments were published, and without consultation, the Government has every reason to rethink its position.

Energy prices go up in October, creating increased worries for those just above the pension credit eligibility limit. To stick, lemming-like, to its mantra that the proposed means-testing is fair and that it was a decision that had to be taken for the good of the economy, would be political suicide.

Everyone with half a brain knows that to scrap winter energy support for all those with an income in excess of £218 per week will immediately plunge millions into fuel poverty.

Silver Voices argues that if there has to be a cut-off point, it should be at the higher rate of tax.

The Chancellor can right these wrongs in her Budget on 30 October and we have published a new petition to persuade her to call off her war on pensioners.

Energy support for all older people on modest incomes, no scrapping of other universal benefits or the single council tax discount, and steps to improve the basic state pension. You can sign it here