Pensioner with severe health issues shares heartbreaking fears for her life after losing Winter Fuel Payment: ‘It’s awful!’

A pensioner with severe sleep apnoea has told GB News that she fears for her life, following the scrap of the Winter Fuel Payment.

Maria Fuccio, who requires an oxygen mask to sleep at night, told host Patrick Christys that she “stops breathing 11 times an hour” each night due to her condition, and relies on the equipment to supply her oxygen.

When asked by Patrick what will happen now she may be forced to turn her equipment off, Fuccio admitted that she could suffer “heart failure, a stroke and even death”.

Despite major backlash from millions of pensioners across Britain, Chancellor Rachel Reeves assured the nation this week that cutting the benefit was “the right decision”.

Detailing the severity of her health condition, Fuccio told GB News: “I suffer with sleep apnoea and I stop breathing 11 times an hour, so I have to wear a mask that pumps air into my lungs to keep me breathing.

“I have to have it plugged in all night as well as have the heating on because I don’t have any thyroid, so I can’t monitor my body temperature.”

When asked by Patrick how the cut will impact her financially, Fuccio became emotional as she admitted she will need to “cut her cloth according to what she’s got left”, including additional care needs.

Fuccio explained: “You have to cut your cloth according to what you’ve got, and so that extra help, that’ll go.

“All I can see is this is robbing Peter to pay Paul, and there’s going to be a lot of elderly people that actually end up in hospital over the winter because of this.”

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As the winter months approach, Fuccio also told Patrick of the mental impact the news of the benefit cut has had, noting it has been “awful” coming to terms with her situation.

Fuccio said: “It’s been awful. I have had to now think about what I can wear as well, because of only being able to put the heating on for a couple of hours a day, that also then impacts on mould and mildew in the house.

“So if you own your own property you’re in a worse situation, and I’m just tipped over the edge to pay the tax.

“I like to eat as healthily as I can as well to help my health along the way, but it will mean that I will start to eat more rubbishy food, more convenience foods, and that will put my weight on.

“Which will then put more pressure onto my organs and such like, so it’s not ideal.”

Patrick has also set up a JustGiving fundraising page, to help raise money for Friends of the Elderly, which has raised over £187,000 so far.

To support the cause and make a donation, visit Patrick’s JustGiving page HERE.