Labour’s ‘cruel’ decision to scrap winter fuel payments for pensioners will affect at least a quarter of residents living in parts of England and Wales.
Government statistics analysed by MailOnline suggest 31 per cent of residents rely on the £300 hand-outs in North Norfolk alone.
In total, 20 authorities saw at least a quarter of their population receive the energy bill subsidy in 2022/23.
Our analysis – which you can view as an interactive map – comes as ministers face mounting fury over the contentious means-test plan which MPs voted through last night.
Up to 10million pensioners will be denied the financial lifeline this year.
Only those on pensioner credit – with incomes below around £11,400 – will get the benefit in future.
Sir Keir Starmer claimed the decision was needed to repair what he claimed was a £22billion ‘black hole’ in the public finances. This is despite Labour itself warning a move to cancel winter fuel payments could kill 4,000 pensioners a year in previous research from 2017.
Following outrage from trade unions about the measures, rumours swirled around Whitehall that a Labour MP cabal might vote down the measure.
Just one – veteran left-winger Jon Trickett – ended up voting against the measure, although dozens abstained.
The vote passed by 348 votes to 228.
In a tense clash in the House of Commons today, Rishi Sunak warned thousands of pensioners could die this year due to the controversial policy.
He demanded the Government publishes the impact assessment of the winter fuel change.
MPs who backed Sir Keir’s move have been targeted online.
MailOnline’s analysis was calculated using the Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) population estimates for June 2022.
This was combined with Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) figures for winter fuel payouts in the 2022-23 winter period. Statistics for 2023/24 will be released later this month.
North Norfolk appeared to be the worst-affected area. More than 31 per cent of its 103,000 population took the handout.
It was followed closely by Rother in East Sussex (30 per cent).
The Welsh authority with the highest percentage of winter fuel payment claimants was Powys, with a 25.5 per cent payout rate relative to its population of 133,891.
Tower Hamlets is the only local authority in the UK where under five per cent (4.9) of the population were paid winter fuel payments in the 2022-23 scheme.
More than 11.4million pensioners claimed the subsidy in 2022/23. This includes more than 36,000 who live in Europe.
Further MailOnline analysis conducted this week shows that British pensioners who live in Europe have claimed more than £235million in winter fuel payments since the scheme began in 2002. According to the Taxpayers Alliance, that figure could pay for the creation of over 7,000 new police officers or nurses.
Under the new proposals, households in England and Wales will only be entitled to the payment if they receive Pension Credit or certain other means-tested benefits.
The DWP estimates that only 1.5million individuals will receive the payment for this winter.
Elsewhere, it was reported that Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who introduced the scheme, claimed £4,400 in energy support before axing winter fuel payments.
According to The Telegraph, Reeves, Sir Keir and other Labour MPs spent a total of over £400,000 in taxpayer money heating their homes over the last five years.