Chancellor Rachel Reeves has faced criticism after justifying her decision to claim £4,400 in taxpayer expenses to heat her second home, a day after MPs voted to scrap the £300 winter fuel payment for millions of pensioners. The decision comes as the government moves to cut benefits for pensioners while preserving MPs’ expenses claims.
In an interview with GB News, Reeves defended her expenses, arguing that MPs are required to maintain two homes – one in London and one in their constituency. Reeves said: “Well, being an MP for a constituency means you have to have a home in London as well as living in the constituency, and that applies to all MPs. Those are well-established rules.”
Reeves stressed her commitment to protecting the most vulnerable, saying: “I am determined to ensure that the poorest pensioners are protected and continue to receive winter fuel payments, and that pension incomes continue to increase with the triple lock.”
Analysis has revealed that Reeves has claimed £3,700 of taxpayers’ money for energy bills over the past five years. The chancellor’s defence of her expenses comes amid a backlash from more than 50 Labour MPs who defied party leader Sir Keir Starmer by refusing to vote for his plan to scrap winter fuel payments.
The case highlights the debate over MPs’ expenses and their perceptions of fairness, especially as pensioners prepare to lose one of their main sources of financial support during the colder months. As public scrutiny intensifies, Reeves’s expenses claims are likely to remain a contentious issue, raising questions about the balance between MPs’ rights and the needs of ordinary citizens.