Sir Keir Starmer has announced a reversal of the previous year’s controversial decision to cut winter fuel payments, which impacted over nine million pensioners. The eligibility for the pension top-up was tightened last year, resulting in many pensioners missing out on payments worth up to £300. During Prime Minister’s Questions, Sir Keir stated that the government would reconsider the threshold to allow “more pensioners” to qualify once again. However, he did not provide specific details, mentioning that the changes would be implemented in a future Budget while emphasizing that decisions would be made within the government’s financial means.
The winter fuel payment is an annual lump-sum amount of £200 for pensioners under 80, increasing to £300 for those over 80, typically paid in November or December. Last year, the government limited the payments to individuals eligible for pension credit and other income-related benefits, aiming to save £1.4bn. This adjustment was not included in Labour’s general election manifesto, leading to approximately nine million pensioners losing eligibility for the top-up. Some Labour MPs have attributed losses in last month’s local elections to this policy change, where the party relinquished around two-thirds of the seats it had held.
This breaking news update concerning the winter fuel payments adjustment is ongoing, and more details are expected to be released shortly. Readers are encouraged to refresh the page for the most comprehensive coverage as updates are published. To receive Breaking News updates on a smartphone or tablet, individuals can utilize the BBC News App. Additionally, staying informed on the latest alerts can be done by following @BBCBreaking on social media platform X
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