Winter Fuel Payments – what’s going to change and who’s affected amid backlash

Keir Starmer could face embarrassment over Winter Fuel Payments cuts, which will affect over 10 million pensioners.

The Labour Party confernece will hear calls for the controversial policy to be dropped in a vote called by Unite and the Communications Union. Mr Starmer has faced a backlash from within the party over plans to means test the annual payments, which are worth up to £300.

Shouts of “save the winter fuel” could be heard in Liverpool. The Government says the controversial move is necessary as ministers grapple with a £22billion black hole left by the Tories. But it has sparked warnings that pensioners will die as a result, and critics say elderly people are “worried sick”.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham has described the policy as “cruel” and has called on the Prime Minister to admit he made a “misstep”. She said: “The first thing Labour does is to take away the winter fuel allowance from the poorest in our society while they leave the wealthiest people pretty much untouched.”

Ministers say the move will save the Treasury £1.4billion this financial year, while also ensuring pensioners who need the payments continue to get it. But charity Age UK has demanded a reversal, saying two million will struggle to make ends meet as a result.

And one furious Labour MP, Rachael Maskell, has warned excess deaths of pensioners could rise as a result. But defending the move, Commons leader Lucy Powell said the Government has taken “some really difficult decisions” that it “did not want to make”.

What is the Winter Fuel Payment?

The Winter Fuel Payment was brought in back in 1997, when Labour returned to power. It is designed to ensure pensioners can afford to pay their energy bills when temperatures drop.

Under the current rules, Winter Fuel Payments are available to everyone in England, Wales and Northern Ireland who is over state pension age – regardless of your income. The exact date changes every year, but most recently, this included those born on or before September 24, 1957.

How are Winter Fuel Payments changing?

If you live in England or Wales, you’ll only be able to get a Winter Fuel Payment from now on if you’re over state pension age and receiving one of the following benefits:

• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Pension Credit
• Universal Credit

How much you’ll receive in Winter Fuel Payments won’t be changing – they will still be worth up to £300, depending on your circumstances.

How many people will be affected?

The update means around 10 million fewer pensioners will be able to claim Winter Fuel Payments. At the moment around 11.4 million qualify.

But this will be reduced to 1.5 million who meet the criteria. The move will save the Treasury around £1.4billion this financial year.

What have rebels said?

In a scathing attack on the policy, Labour backbencher Rachael Maskell said she fears pensioners will die as a result. She wrote in The Telegraph: “We know that being cold leads to stroke, heart attacks, pneumonia, hyperthermia and so much more as the body wrestles to keep warm, and viruses prey on the frail.”

And Ms Maskell continued: “The fear is that, if we withdraw winter fuel payments for those in fuel poverty, it will lead to excess deaths.” Another disgruntled backbencher said the move, coupled with the refusal to scrap the two-child benefit limit, has caused anger. They said: “There’s people right across the political divide who are very unhappy. They need to consider a u-turn over the winter fuel payments. I think this is going to ramp up, there’s a lot of angry people out there.”

What’s the Government said this week?

Parliament has already backed proposed changes to the winter fuel allowance, the Chancellor has said. Rachel Reeves told a fringe event at the conference: “Conference will vote on that motion which I think includes fiscal rules, a wealth tax and the winter fuel payment.

“But Parliament has already voted on this a couple of weeks ago and there was overwhelming support for restricting winter fuel payments to just those pensioners on pension credit. I think the reason why, in the end, MPs did vote that way is because of a recognition that the triple lock will protect pensioner incomes.”

Ms Reeves also said the new Government’s actions to promote uptake of pension credit had seen 13,000 people had applied for pension credit in the past week – a “sharp increase” on the number in the same period last year. She said: “Because of the actions this Labour Government is taking, the poorest pensioners will not only keep their winter fuel payment but are likely to get hundreds of pounds extra every year through getting the pension credit which the previous Tory government, although they are now saying they care about pensioner poverty, made no effort to boost the take-up of pension credit.”

What do charities say?

Charity Age UK has launched a petition, which has been signed by almost 490,000 people, calling for a U-turn. Age UK says: “Cutting the Winter Fuel Payment this winter, with virtually no notice and no compensatory measures to protect poor and vulnerable pensioners, is the wrong policy decision.

“Millions of struggling pensioners won’t receive up to £300 they rely on to pay their bills. We believe as many as 2 million pensioners who find paying their energy bills a real stretch will be seriously hit by this cut.”

Am I or a loved one missing out when I shouldn’t be?

It is estimated that 880,000 people who are entitled to pension credit don’t claim it. On Sunday the Government launched a week of action saying this “needs to change”. Ministers called on everyone who is eligible to sign up. This will ensure they don’t miss out on Winter Fuel Payments.

Applications for Pension Credit can be made:

• On the How to Claim page
• Over the phone by calling 0800 99 1234 (Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm)
• By printing out and filling in a paper application form
• For more information visit the Pension Credit GOV.UK page
• People who have reached State Pension age before September 23, 2024 and who get Pension Credit, Income Support, Income based JSA, Income related ESA, Universal Credit, Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit, will be entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment – subject to eligibility conditions.