'Freezing This Christmas': tribute singer Dean Ager voices a nation's indignation

In this song, adapted from the band Mud's 1975 hit 'Lonely This Christmas, Rat Pack and Michael Bublé tribute singer Dean Ager and pastiche-lyric writer Chris Middleton have given voice to a nation's indignation as the now-ruling Labour Party have decided to cut the Winter Fuel Allowance. Released by the specially created band Sir Starmer and the Granny Harmers, and delivered in conjunction with charity Age UK, the song has gone viral, taking the much-coveted top spot in the Christmas hit rankings as No 1 in the UK's Official Big Top 40 chart. Age UK explains the government's controversial new measure, saying: "This means any pensioner who earns more than £11,343.80 a year may now have to choose between heating and eating. Indeed, more than 40,000 pensioners who are terminally ill will lose the winter fuel payment according to the Telegraph, and the Winter Fuel Payment cut will put 50,000 pensioners into poverty next year according to the BBC. An analysis by Policy in Practice suggests about 130,000 people will miss out on the Winter Fuel Payment because they are just £500 a year or less over the threshold. We believe that not a single person in the UK in 2024 should die because of the cold. We are calling on the government to raise the threshold for receiving the Winter Fuel Payment to at least £20,000 a year. Pensioners have worked and contributed to the system their entire lives, it is only right that we look after them and allow them to live their final years in peace and with dignity. Join us in demanding better for our pensioners. Share Freezing This Christmas and help spread the message". Age UK has also set up a donations page: https://www.justgiving.com/page/freezing-this-christmas. What do you think of this initiative? The viral push shows how that many find it hits the spot. Critics argue that the government's efforts to make life better for Britain's seniors have not received equal coverage, and therefore this kind of popular critique is lop-sided.

Keywords: Age UK 'Freezing This Christmas', winter heating allowance, Sir Starmer and the Granny Harmers, Christmas ads 2024, No 1 song Christmas 2024,