The health secretary has defended the government's decision to cut the winter fuel payment for pensioners amid increasing backlash. Wes Streeting insisted pensioners will still be better off under a Labour government because they are "protecting the triple lock". "Because of the choices we've made, whether it's protecting the poorest pensioners by keeping their winter fuel allowance or indeed protecting the triple lock for all pensioners, all pensioners will be better off this winter than they were last winter," he said. Report by Kennedyl. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
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00:00I think today is a real opportunity for the government to spell out not just the tough
00:07inheritance we receive with a £22 billion black hole in the public finances, but also
00:13why it's necessary to stabilise the public finances, fix the foundations so we can build
00:19a brighter future for our country. I know this has not been a popular decision and we're
00:24going to have to make some unpopular decisions in the national interest, but because of the
00:28choices we've made, whether it's protecting the poorest pensioners by keeping their winter
00:33fuel allowance, or indeed protecting the triple lock for all pensioners, those choices mean
00:39that even despite the winter fuel allowance changes we're making, all pensioners will
00:45be better off this winter than they were last winter, and next year they will be better
00:49off further still, because we are protecting the triple lock so that support for pensioners
00:54rises with living costs.