The controversial cuts to a scheme to help pay for the costs of heating pensioners’ homes during the winter are set to be softened. Primer Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said in Parliament that he wants more older people to be eligible for the winter fuel payment.
Have your say! Is the government right to U-turn on the winter fuel payments? Does this help or hurt the government’s reputation? Comment below, and join in on the conversation.
The surprise announcement came at the weekly Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) session in Parliament, weeks after the government denied having plans to row back on cuts to the payment, reports the Mirror. The Labour government have been under pressure to ease the requirements needed to get the £300 payment.
The Prime Minister said that they could now do this because of improvements in the country’s economic outlook. It was argued last year that the unpopular decision was needed to fix a “black hole” in the country’s finances, which the Labour Party said was the result of years of Conservative rule.
Speaking at PMQs, Mr Starmer said: “We all know the economy was left in absolute mess by the Tories. We had to stabilise the economy with tough decisions but the right decisions. Because of those decisions it is beginning to improve.”
He added: “I recognise people are still feeling the pressure of the cost of living crisis including pensioners, and 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 as we go forward more pensioners are eligible for winter fuel payments.
“As you would expect we will only make sure we make decisions we can afford. That is why we will look at that as part of a fiscal event.”
The decision to cut into winter fuel payments were blamed for losses in the local elections earlier this month, with Nigel Farage’s Reform making big gains all across the country. Labour MPs have also been urging their own party to rethink sweeping disability benefit cuts which could put hundreds of thousands of people into poverty, according to the government’s own analysis.
Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall has stood firm on the benefit cuts issue however, saying that she “will help ensure our welfare state is sustainable for the future. We must start shifting so much spending on the costs of failure to investing in the jobs, skills and public services that people need to build a better life.”
Have your say! Is the government right to U-turn on the winter fuel payments? Does this help or hurt the government’s reputation? Comment below, and join in on the conversation.
