£300 Winter Fuel Payments reinstated for thousands of UK households in u-turn

£300 Winter Fuel Payments reinstated for thousands of UK households in u-turn

by · Birmingham Live

Winter Fuel Payments have been reinstated for THOUSANDS of households after a big u-turn. In a devastating and humiliating blow for the Labour Party government, the Scottish government has said all state pensioner households will keep their £300 allowances.

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said those in receipt of qualifying benefits like Pension Credit would get £200 or £300 depending on their age, while all others would get £100. The funds - which are limited to one payment per household - will be paid through a new Scottish Parliament benefit, which will not be ready until late 2025.

In a statement at Holyrood, Somerville told MSPs that next winter Scots would be entitled to the newly-devolved Pension Age Winter Heating Payment. She said: “This universal benefit – providing much-needed support not available anywhere else in the UK – will deliver support for all pensioner households as we had always intended to do before the UK government decision to means-test winter fuel payments cut the funding available to support our new benefit in Scotland this winter by £147m.

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“We will not abandon older people this winter or any winter. We will do our best to make sure no-one has to make a decision between heating and eating, and we will continue to protect pensioners." Meanwhile, Scottish Conservative social security spokeswoman Liz Smith accused ministers of "hoodwinking" pensioners by pretending that a full winter fuel payment was being introduced.

At Inchgarth Community Centre in Aberdeen Harry Buck, 71, said it was "a bit of a concern" that he would get no fuel payment this winter. "I don't receive any credits at all so I'll not receive any additional help from the government.

"I'm probably lucky enough that I can afford my bills just now, so it will still be interesting to see how it goes this year without that wee bit of extra help."