Keir Starmer Announces Winter Fuel U-Turn After Public Backlash
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Keir Starmer has confirmed that the government will change the winter fuel payment threshold following backlash over how it would affect pensioners.
Many Labour MPs believe the decision last year to restrict the payments has played a big part in the party's sharp fall in popularity since its general election victory in July.
At Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, Labour MP Sarah Owen asked Keir Starmer what measures the government will take to help pensioners.
The Prime Minister said he recognised the financial pressure on pensioners and would look at changing the threshold so that more pensions are eligible.
“As the economy improves, we want to make sure people feel those improvements in their days as their lives go forward, and that is why we want to ensure that… more pensioners are eligible for winter fuel payment," he said.
“We will only make decisions we can afford. That is why we will look at that as part of a fiscal event.“
Starmer added: “As the economy improves, we want to take measures that will impact on people's lives, and therefore we will look at the threshold, but that will have to be part of a fiscal event.”
The PM's reference to a fiscal event suggests the change will come in the Autumn Budget.
The winter fuel payment is a cash payment of £200 a year for pensioners under 80 and £300 for the over-80s.
Earlier this year, the government announced that it would restrict the benefit to those who qualify for pension credit, which it said would save more than £1bn.
However, many Labour MPs have complained that the planned cut went too far, and warned the government that it had triggered a strong negative reaction from voters, particularly in the run-up to the local elections earlier this month.
Polling has also found strong public opposition to the original decision.
“Pensioners already suffering under this government’s spiralling inflation will want to see the detail of this latest screeching u-turn as soon as possible," a Conservative party spokesperson said in response to the PM's statement.
