Prime Minister Keir Starmer has appeared to U-turn on the unpopular Winter Fuel Payment cuts (Simon Dawson/No 10 Downing Street via Flickr)
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Prime minister Keir Starmer has appeared to U-turn on the unpopular decision to cut the winter fuel payment for pensioners not receiving certain benefits.
During Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday (21 May), Starmer explained that he wanted to “make more pensioners eligible for winter fuel payment” after the benefit was cut from all pensioners to only those on pension credit and other means-tested benefits.
When asked by Labour MP Sarah Owen about help for pensioners, Starmer explained that the Labour government had been forced to make “tough decisions” in order to stabilise the economy.
“Because of those decisions, the economy is beginning to improve,” the prime minister said.
“But I recognise that people are still feeling the pressure of the cost-of-living crisis, including pensioners, as the economy improves. We want to make sure people feel those improvements as their lives go forward. That is why we want to ensure that as we go forward, more pensioners are eligible for winter fuel payments.”
Starmer underlined that the government would “only make decisions we can afford”.
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Although no announcements have been made confirming details of changes to the winter fuel payment, campaigners are looking to this year’s autumn budget, which they claim could be “too late” to ensure all pensioners are covered before the winter.
Describing the U-turn as “long overdue”, Jonathan Bean, parliament and policy lead at Fuel Poverty Action, told the Big Issue that the campaign group is “concerned” the government may move “too slowly” to protect pensioners by next winter.
“Not making a decision or an announcement until the autumn is a huge issue, because we are running a risk of millions of pensioners, again, suffering next winter, if they move slowly,” he said.
Instead, Fuel Poverty Action is calling for the government to immediately reintroduce universal winter fuel payments for all pensioners, rather than “tweaking” it as a means-tested benefit.
“We know that this winter, 800,000 people didn’t get the means-tested pension credit that they should have got… so the system is completely broken and also very unfair, and it will take a long time to sort that out,” Bean explained. “We know that’s not going to happen before next winter. So if they want to tweak the current system, we’re going to get millions of people again suffering next winter.”
He added: “Energy prices are still incredibly high. Older people need more of this very expensive energy to stay safe. And actually, the winter fuel payment was a very efficient way of keeping a large number of people safe, and we know it saved thousands of lives.
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“We believe the only sensible decision to make is to reintroduce it as a universal protection.”
Protesters from Fuel Poverty Action hold a minutes silence to remember those that have lost their lives due to cold and damp homes (Denise Laura Baker)
The government faced fierce backlash to the decision to stop the payments of between £200 and £300 a year to pensioners not on benefits, with campaigners, charities and MPs calling to reverse the cuts.
The charity Centre for Ageing Better found that more than 2.5 million pensioners who lost the winter fuel payment due to the decision had an income below the minimum level needed for a “dignified standard of living”.
The charity also found that one in four (25%) of people aged 65 and over were not on a low enough income to qualify for the winter fuel payment, however did not have enough money to live comfortably.
Lucy Bannister, head of policy and influencing at poverty charity Turn2us, explained that while the charity “welcomes the prime minister’s indication that the government plans to widen eligibility for winter fuel payment, helping more low-income pensioners to stay warm and safe this winter”, it still may not be enough to protect all pensioners.
“We remain concerned that hundreds of thousands of eligible pensioners still miss out each year due to a complex application process, lack of awareness, and stigma. Many feel shame for needing support, a direct result of how benefits are too often talked about by politicians and the media,” Bannister said.
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“The government must urgently ensure its narrative around its wider social security reforms reduces this stigma, simplify the system, and proactively reach those being left behind.”
Older people ‘need reassurance’ around who will be covered
Charities have added that there will still be a period of “uncertainty and anxiety” around who will be covered by Starmer’s promise to make more pensioners eligible for the payment.
“While this news will bring some relief to older people on a low income who lost the winter fuel payment, there will still be a period of uncertainty and anxiety until details about who is eligible are clearly announced and detailed,” Independent Age explained.
“At a time when higher bills and rising inflation are stretching budgets to breaking point, older people on low incomes need reassurance that they will be supported to heat their home next winter and beyond.”
Explaining that linking the payments to pension credit meant “far too many older people on low incomes fell through the cracks”, Independent Age explained that the government “must provide clarity” on who is expected to be eligible.
