As MPs returned to Westminster this week I joined all my Liberal Democrat colleagues in backing a motion to prevent the government from cutting pensioners’ Winter Fuel payments this year.

At the time of writing the ‘prayer motion’ hasn’t been timetabled, but it would ensure MPs are given a vote on the changes before they come into force on 16th September.

It comes as analysis by the Liberal Democrats shows that pensioners are expected to take a £670 hit this winter due to the rise in the energy price cap, the end to the Pensioner Cost of Living Payment and the government’s cuts to the winter fuel allowance coming into effect.

It was not what was expected of a new Labour government coming into office on a promise of “change”. Even though we know money is tight and public services are broken everywhere you look after a decade of neglect, targeting pensioners straight out of the gate was a shock.

Leader of the House Lucy Powell told the BBC that the government had to take “really difficult decisions” because the deficit was much higher than anyone had thought. She said Labour’s commitment to the state pension triple lock and focus on economic stability would protect pensioners in the long term and theat she couldn’t see any scenario where the decision would be reversed.

However, the Lib Dems are urging the government to think again about the proposed cut which will impact 10 million pensioners. Of these, charity Age UK has said two million will find paying their energy bills a real stretch and will be seriously hit by this cut.

Over 23,000 pensioners in South Devon constituency don't receive pension credit, and so will lose the winter fuel allowance.

According to the government’s own figures, 800,000 of the lowest income pensioners are eligible for Pension Credit but do not claim it, meaning they will also lose their Winter Fuel Payments.

Devon has a higher-than-average elderly population, with 28.5% of residents in the South Hams now older than 65 and in Torbay it is 26.7%. This means Labour’s proposed cut will hit South Devon harder than other places and put a disproportionate burden on our public services. Across the UK 18% of the population is over 65.

This is compounded by the fact that rural areas rely on off-grid gas or oil supplies to heat homes, and houses tend to be less energy efficient. In much of Devon and Cornwall around 15% of homes are in fuel poverty.

The Labour government has said that those with the broadest shoulders should bear the heavier burden, so it cannot be right that South Devon residents have to bear the brunt of these changes simply because we live in a rural area with an older population. Most pensioners are not the ones with the broad shoulders.

I and my fellow Liberal Democrat MPs will keep pushing the government to find other ways to fill the economic black hole left by the Conservatives.