Chancellor Rachel Reeves has confirmed that more pensioners will be eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment this year, signalling a U-turn on one of Labour’s earliest and most contentious policies.
The payment – worth up to £300 – had previously been limited to those receiving pension credit, cutting support to around 10 million pensioners in 2024. The restriction was widely blamed for Labour’s poor local election results.
While Reeves assured voters that “the means test will increase and more people will get winter fuel payment this winter,” she stopped short of confirming exactly who will now qualify. The lack of detail has led to growing pressure from charities, MPs and opposition parties to clarify eligibility and delivery timelines, especially with payments usually landing in November or December.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer acknowledged that the government was “looking again” at the rules, but offered no firm answers during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday. “We will set out how we pay for it,” he said, when challenged by Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch on whether all 10 million pensioners previously excluded would regain access to the payment.
Downing Street has since promised to provide clarity “as soon as we can”, amid warnings from Age UK that a delay could leave vulnerable pensioners unprotected during the coldest months.
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