{"id":283480,"date":"2025-06-09T11:09:01","date_gmt":"2025-06-09T11:09:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/uncategorized\/winter-fuel-payments-restored-for-select-pensioners-after-labour-u-turn\/"},"modified":"2025-06-09T11:09:01","modified_gmt":"2025-06-09T11:09:01","slug":"winter-fuel-payments-restored-for-select-pensioners-after-labour-u-turn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=283480","title":{"rendered":"Winter Fuel Payments Restored For Select Pensioners After Labour U Turn"},"content":{"rendered":"


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The vast majority of pensioners will receive winter fuel payments<\/a> again this year, the Treasury has confirmed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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All those with an income of \u00a335,000 or below will become eligible after a public backlash forced a major Labour<\/a> U-turn.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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That means around nine million pensioners \u2013 just over three-quarters of the total \u2013 will now qualify for the payment, which is worth \u00a3200 a year, or \u00a3300 for those aged over 80.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Chancellor Rachel Reeves<\/a> announced last July that, for the first time, the annual payments would become means-tested rather than given to all pensioners.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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She said only those receiving pension credit \u2013 meaning their income was \u00a312,000 or less \u2013 would get it. In all, 10 million pensioners missed out last winter.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Reeves said the policy would save the public purse \u00a31.5 billion and help fill the \u00a322 billion black hole in the nation\u2019s finances left by the Tories.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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But she was forced into a rethink because the policy was so unpopular and identified as one of the main reasons for Labour\u2019s disastrous showing at last month\u2019s local elections in England.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Announcing the new rules, Reeves said: \u201cTargeting winter fuel payments was a tough decision, but the right decision because of the inheritance we had been left by the previous government.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cIt is also right that we continue to means-test this payment so that it is targeted and fair, rather than restoring eligibility to everyone including the wealthiest. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cBut we have now acted to expand the eligibility of the winter fuel payment so no pensioner on a lower income will miss out. This will mean over three quarters of pensioners receiving the payment in England and Wales later this winter.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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All pensioners will receive the payment, but the two million expected to be above the new \u00a335,000 income threshold will have it recouped by His Majesty\u2019s Revenue and Customs through the tax system.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The change is expected to cost the Treasury \u00a31.25 billion in England and Wales, but sources insisted it will still save the public purse around \u00a3450 million compared to when it was a universal benefit.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The Scottish government and Northern Ireland Executive, which are responsible for the payments in their countries, will receive extra cash from the Treasury to cover the cost.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said the misery caused by the government\u2019s original decision to means test the payment \u201ccannot be overstated\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cCountless pensioners were forced to choose between heating and eating all whilst the government buried its head in the sand for months on end, ignoring those who were really suffering,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n