5 days ago
Winter fuel payment U-TURN could give Scots £70million cash boost
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RACHEL Reeves' winter fuel payments u-turn could give Scotland a £70million boost, experts said yesterday.
The Chancellor confirmed payments will be reinstated for some pensioners by tweaking the means test that left millions of people frozen out last year.
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The vital fuel payment is set to be reinstated by UK Government
Credit: Alamy
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The u-turn will increase funding available to the Scottish Government
Credit: PA
Bea Boileau of the Institute of Fiscal Studies said: 'This will increase funding available for the Scottish Government.
"How much will depend on how many pensioners WFP is extended to.'
Ms Reeves said today: 'People should be in no doubt that the means test will increase and more people will get winter fuel payment this winter.
'We will set out how everything will be paid for at the budget in the autumn.'
It comes after Labour slashed entitlement to the payments of up to £300 from around a million Scots to fewer than 200,000 last year.
The Scottish Government has already pledged £100 heating payments to every pensioner.
SNP Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: 'It still sounds as if the UK Government is planning to target vulnerable pensioners to help balance the books.'
We previously told how over one million state pensioners in Scotland are to benefit from a new winter fuel payment.
The winter fuel payment was replaced with the pension age winter heating payment (PAWHP) last year, as part of the devolution of welfare powers.
First Minister John Swinney confirmed last month that a new universal payment for older Scots is to be introduced.
It will be worth up to £300.
Mr Swinney said he will not leave OAPs struggling due to "Labour broken promises".
He added: "It is so inexplicable that one of the first things Keir Starmer did when he became Prime Minister was to cut this vital lifeline for our pensioners.
'Labour scrapping the Winter Fuel Payment was a complete betrayal – up there with Thatcher's poll tax or Nick Clegg on tuition fees.
"I am not willing to see Scottish pensioners left to struggle because of Labour broken promises.
"So we listened to what people were telling us and we took action.
"That means older people in Scotland will receive this crucial support before we get into the worst of the winter weather – and unlike Labour, we will never abandon this vital support for our pensioners. That is my guarantee."
The new pension age winter heating payment will be dished out by November 30, St Andrew's Day, this year.
