SNP must follow Labour's plans after UK Government winter fuel U-turn, says MSP
The move means that more than three quarters of pensioners in England and Wales will receive the payment this winter.
Households with a pensioner under 80 years old will receive £200, while those with one over 80 will receive £300.
But by restricting it to those with an income of, or below, £35,000 per year, the UK Labour Government is also making sure that rich millionaires who simply don't need the payment won't get it.
Pensioners in England and Wales with incomes of, or below, £35,000 a year will receive winter fuel payments after a U-turn by the UK Government - and Neil Bibby says the Scottish Government will have no choice but to follow suit for older people north of the border. (Image: Newsquest) This is a response to the many concerns raised that the threshold for eligibility was too low. It's not often governments listen and make changes when they get things wrong, but it is refreshing, and I am glad they have.
This news is fantastic for pensioners south of the border who were worried about heating their homes this winter.
But it is also great news for pensioners in Scotland because the SNP Government will now have no choice but to follow suit.
This decision will bring even more money to Scotland - so there is no excuse not to pass it on.
READ MORE: Inverclyde councillors rubber-stamp £600,000 fuel help to more than 1,000 needy pensioners
The SNP Government also needs to follow Labour's plan because, since the payment was devolved in Scotland, many lower- and middle-income Scottish pensioners are due to get less money than they would elsewhere in the UK.
The SNP's current plans mean that Scottish pensioners who are not in receipt of specific benefits will only receive £100.
Since the UK Government's initial announcement on the Winter Fuel Payment last year, Scottish Labour has continued to call for a Scottish solution to the issue.
READ MORE: 12,500 households in Inverclyde set to lose up to £300 to help keep warm this winter
Indeed, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar stated last November that he would reinstate the payment and extend the eligibility threshold if elected into government in 2026.
The UK Labour government's expansion of the Winter Fuel Payment is a game-changer and good news for pensioners.
The SNP Scottish Government should now follow suit without delay to ensure that pensioners in Scotland get the benefit.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
New plans for site of former pub demolished in 2011
New plans have emerged for the site of a lost community pub after it was demolished in 2011. The Boundary pub sat on the border between Huyton and Dovecot and was a popular destination, particularly during its heyday in the 1970s and 1980s. The pub was once called The Boundary Hotel and known in later years as just The Boundary. According to past reports, The Boundary was a place people would visit after work and was very busy at the weekends. Inside, a juke box could once be seen by the men's toilets and there was also a pool table that was always occupied. Attached to the pub, customers could also head to O'Neill's diner sandwich bar for something to eat. READ MORE: Man arrested after attack on bus in city centre READ MORE: Sam Walker 'remains under investigation' after armed police storm hospital Today, the land where the pub and café once stood, remains empty with only a few faded car park markings to indicate its past usage. The site has been vacant for more than 14 years and has been subject to numerous planning applications and much local speculation on what will be developed there. Those questions seem to have now been answered after a new planning application was submitted to Knowsley Council. Since The Boundary pub was demolished in 2011, proposals have included various usages for the land including a petrol station with convenience store, which would have opened between the hours of 7am and 10pm. However, the plans were subject to more than 100 objections from concerned local residents, and the application subsequently withdrawn by the planning agent. The new applicant is Breck Homes Ltd which advertises itself as a 'multi-disciplined development and investment business, with a headquarters in Preston. Breck has submitted a full planning application for the construction of 35 new homes on the Pilch Lane site, including new car parking facilities and landscaping. According to a third-party planning report, the development will consist of '100% affordable rented homes' and will benefit from rear garden access. Front gardens or verges are also included in the proposals and cited in the report. The application will now be considered by the local authority ahead of a potential planning committee assessment For the latest news and breaking news visit Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you. Follow us on Twitter @LivECHONews - the official Liverpool ECHO Twitter account - real news in real time. We're also on Facebook/theliverpoolecho - your must-see news, features, videos and pictures throughout the day from the Liverpool ECHO.
New York Times
38 minutes ago
- New York Times
Sir Jim Ratcliffe's INEOS counter-suing Tottenham relating to Harry Kane's Bayern Munich move
Sir Jim Ratcliffe's car company INEOS Automotive is counter-suing Tottenham Hotspur for more than £1million. In legal documents filed to the High Court earlier this month, INEOS' lawyers have disputed Tottenham's claim from June, in which the Premier League club sued the company for £11million ($14.8m). Advertisement The legal dispute centres on the 'Official Partnership Agreement' between Tottenham and INEOS that was signed in December 2022. This agreement was intended to grant INEOS commercial sponsorship rights for almost five years, specifically relating to the 'INEOS Grenadier' brand in exchange for almost £17.5m in sponsorship fees, not including indexation. That sponsorship deal has now collapsed. Tottenham argued in their 'Particulars of Claim', filed to the High Court in June and seen by The Athletic, that they terminated the agreement on March 11 this year. They cited INEOS' failure to pay an indexation payment of almost £480,000, which was due by 16 August 2024, and a sponsorship fee of £5.1m, which was due by 1 December 2024, as well as another interest charge of almost £300,000. Tottenham's claim describes the failure to pay as a 'material breach of the agreement'. Tottenham have also claimed damages of more than £5.2m for breach of contract. INEOS has always maintained their right to terminate the agreement. In INEOS' 'Defence and Counterclaim', also seen by The Athletic, they argue that the company wrote to terminate the agreement in a letter dated December 6 2024, in effect from 30 June 2025. Their argument is that neither the indexation payment of almost £480,000 nor the sponsorship fee of £5.1m are therefore payable. INEOS further argue that Tottenham were 'not entitled to terminate the Agreement'. INEOS' counterclaim argues that Tottenham 'failed to grant' INEOS rights from 11 March 2025, when they wrote to INEOS to terminate the agreement, until 30 June 2025, 'when the Agreement terminated pursuant to the INEOS Termination Letter'. For these 112 days, INEOS has claimed damages of £1,073,972.60. The INEOS' counterclaim also makes reference to discussions between Tottenham and German car giant Audi at the time that Harry Kane was transferred from Tottenham to Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023. The 'Defence and Counterclaim' starts by referring to a 'highly significant series of events' in which Tottenham 'started negotiating with a major competitor to INEOS'. The counterclaim argues that the club 'was not entitled to have discussions with a Competitor in connection with any rights which were the same as, or substantially similar to, the Rights granted to INEOS'. Advertisement The document states that, on August 3 2023, Tottenham's then-chief commercial officer Todd Kline told INEOS chairman Ashley Reed he 'had been in discussions' with Audi: 'According to Mr Kline, the discussions and/or negotiations related to a proposed transfer of the Club's player Harry Kane to the German club FC Bayern Munich.' According to the document, this led to discussions which brought about a new agreement between Tottenham and INEOS, under the terms of which INEOS had the right to terminate the agreement after its third year, provided that INEOS provided the Club with no less than six months' written notice. Tottenham Hotspur declined to comment. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Manchester Airport told to 'do more' on drop-off and pick-up fees
A government minister has written to Manchester Airport, raising concerns about its drop-off and collection fees. Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton MP Jim McMahon has called for a full review of signage and the appeals process for those who are fined. It comes after the RAC claimed that Manchester Airport was the most expensive UK airports on a 'cost-per-minute' basis, along with London Luton. Research shared by the company revealed that 11 out of 20 airports increased their drop off charges since last summer. However, drop- off fees at several airports, including Manchester, remain frozen. The current drop-off charge at all of the airport's three terminals is £5 for five minutes, increasing to £6.40 for up to 10 minutes, while those who take up to 30 minutes must pay £25. READ MORE: Prisoner held hand of Gooch gang boss Lee Amos as he clutched chest in agony behind bars, inquest into his death hears READ MORE: Crime scene investigators tape off city shopping centre as man rushed to hospital after attack Manchester Airport has defended its charges on motorists, saying that the five-minute drop-off option gives customers 'flexibility'. Sign up to the MEN Politics newsletter Due North here But Mr McMahon, a Labour MP and government minister, has raised concerns about the approach to drop-off and pick-up charges. He has called for 'more to be done' to make sure there is fairness and transparency for people across the region to use the airport. He said: "Having an international airport - the 3rd busiest in the UK and the busiest outside of London - on our doorstep is fantastic for our borough. "It gives local people great access to places around the world for holidays and business, which goes unmatched in the vast majority of the country. "The money being invested into the Airport City project and the upgrades to terminals 2 & 3 is investment which we support. "However, it is important during this summer holiday season to raise concerns about the approach to charging for drop-off and collections at the airport terminals, and the impact on drivers who find themselves faced with unfair charges." In his letter, the MP calls for a 'full review' of signage approaching the airport, at the terminals, and immediately on arrival, an end to the practice of 'stacking up charges' and a review of the appeals process given that unsuccessful appeals increase penalties further. The minister also asked the airport to publish data on income from the drop-off and collection charges so that there is transparency on how much money is made through duplicate charges and late payments. The Manchester Evening News understands that the airport has responded to Mr McMahon and has been invited him to visit. A Manchester Airport spokesperson said: "Drop-off and pick-up charges help us to manage demand for access to our forecourts, where space is limited, and reduce traffic congestion around the site. "It means that the areas remain efficient even at busy times because people are not staying there for extended periods. "This means people can feel assured that if they wish to use our pick-up or drop-off facilities they will be able to do so quickly and effectively. "There are clear signs in and around the drop-off and pick-up areas that remind people to pay online or over the phone by midnight the day after their visit. "We also offer a completely free drop-off facility next to the nearby JetParks 1 car park. It is served by a 24-hour shuttle bus that runs every few minutes and takes less than six minutes to get to all three terminals."
