Latest news with #Scottishpensioners
Telegraph
11 hours ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Scottish pensioners to get ‘at least the same' winter fuel payment as England
Pensioners in Scotland are to receive at least the same winter fuel payment as those in England, John Swinney has promised. The First Minister previously said that all Scottish pensioners would receive a payment of at least £100 ahead of the 2025-26 winter, regardless of their wealth. But in a big reversal last week, Rachel Reeves said all pensioners in England and Wales with an income below £35,000 a year would receive a higher sum. The Chancellor announced that households with a pensioner aged under 80 would get £200, while those with someone over 80 would get £300. However, those with an income of more than £35,000 would receive nothing. The announcement prompted Labour to demand that Mr Swinney review his plan to ensure that 'no struggling Scottish pensioners will be left out of pocket'. The First Minister used a speech on public service reform and preventative public health measures on Monday to confirm Scottish pensioners would not receive less than their English counterparts. However, he failed to provide further details. Speaking in Glasgow, Mr Swinney said: 'Keeping the winter fuel payment looks after our pensioners, but it also looks after our NHS. That is the sharp financial reality of the prevention principle in action. It is one of the reasons we were so quick to step in to protect pensioners in Scotland as best we could from that wrong decision by the UK Government. 'And now they have seen the error of their ways, my government will once again do right by Scotland's pensioners. I'm very happy to confirm today that no pensioner in Scotland will receive less than they would under the new UK scheme. 'Details will be set out in due course by my government, but the Scottish Government will always seek to do what is best for Scotland's pensioners.' Asked to confirm whether pensioners with income of more than £35,000 would still receive £100 in Scotland, he said further details would be revealed 'in due course'. But Liz Smith, the Scottish Tories' shadow social security secretary, said: 'The SNP followed shameful Labour's lead in axing universal winter fuel payments last year. 'And, like Keir Starmer, the Nationalists have been forced into a humiliating U-turn because of the huge public backlash. If cutting fuel payments to pensioners was the false economy John Swinney now claims it was, why did he copy Labour by ditching it in Scotland?' The Labour Government announced last July the introduction of a means-tested cap to the payment for pensioners in England and Wales. This meant that millions of pensioners were no longer eligible. Although control over the benefit is devolved, Mr Swinney argued that he had no choice but to follow suit as the cut south of the border led to a £147 million reduction in the SNP Government's funding through the Barnett formula. The payment of between £100 and £300 went to 130,000 Scottish pensioners in receipt of pension credit and other means-tested benefits last winter – 900,000 fewer than the previous year. Mr Swinney then used the record Budget settlement the SNP Government received from the Chancellor to announce that all pensioners would receive a payment of at least £100 ahead of the 2025-26 winter. Only those on certain means-tested benefits were scheduled to receive a higher amount of either £200 or £300, depending on whether they were aged over 80. Ms Reeves used last week's spending review to hand the Scottish Government an extra £9.1 billion over the next three years. A UK Government spokesman said: 'It is right that support for fuel costs is targeted. 'The Scottish Government will receive an uplift in their funding to support pensioners this winter.'
BBC News
18 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
Scottish winter fuel payment 'will not be less than UK rate'
Winter fuel payments for Scottish pensioners will not be less than those being paid by the UK government south of the border, John Swinney has said. The first minister made the announcement after Chancellor Rachel Reeves U-turned on a highly controversial Scottish government had already said it would provide at least £100 to all pensioner households, with those on pension credit to receive up to £305 depending on age. But in a speech in Glasgow, Swinney confirmed no Scottish pensioner "will receive less than they would under the new UK scheme", without giving further details. Under the chancellor's scheme, every household with a person over the state pension age in England and Wales and an income of up to £35,000 will receive £200 for those aged up to 80 and £300 for those aged over those with an income of more than £35,000, the money will be recouped through the tax was heavily criticised for cutting universal entitlement to winter fuel payments in September last year, with only those on Pension Credit or other benefits Scottish government was due to take over responsibility for winter fuel payments in September - but the introduction of a new universal benefit was delayed after the UK government Scottish government later committed to launching its own winter fuel the plan, all households with a person over state pension age would receive an automatic £100 is to increase to £203 for those under the age of 80 on pension credits, and to £305 for those older than 80. It also includes an "opt-out" system for pensioners who are better off, meaning they can return the payment to the Scottish government or donate it to charity if they feel it is unnecessary.
