Prime Minister announces U-turn on winter fuel payments

The Prime Minister has announced a U-turn on his controversial cuts to winter fuel payments for pensioners.

Keir Starmer said on Wednesday that he wants more pensioners across the UK to be eligible for winter fuel payments following what he called improvements to the economy.

“I recognise people are still feeling the pressure of the cost of living crisis, including pensioners,” he said at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday.

“That’s why we want to ensure that as we go forward, more pensioners are eligible for winter fuel payment.” he said at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday.

The UK Labour Government cut the universal winter fuel payment funding shortly after taking office in 2024.

More than nine million pensioners lost out on payments worth up to £300 after Chancellor Rachel Reeves restricted eligibility for the pension top-up last year.

This impacted the funding for winter fuel payments in Scotland, and the Scottish Government said it had no choice but to follow suit.

First Minister John Swinney and other Scottish politicians have all slammed the decision and called for Westminster to reconsider.

However, up until now, Reeves and Starmer have both refused to rethink the cuts, but this week has marked a major change with Reeves and Starmer both leaving the door open for a u-turn.

“As we all know the economy was left in an absolute mess by the Tories,” Starmer said at PMQs on Wednesday.

“We had to stabilise the economy with tough decisions, but the right decisions. Because of those decision, the economy is beginning to improve,” Starmer said.

As the economy continues to improve, Starmer said his Government wants to see eligibility for winter fuel payments expanded to – once again – include more pensioners.

“As you’d expect, we’ll only make decisions we can afford,” Starmer added.

“We’ll look at that as part of a fiscal event.”

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch asked how the public could “ever trust” Sir Keir Starmer after the “inevitable U-turn on winter fuel” payments.

She said: “I wonder how the public feel about a man who can’t give a straight answer to a simple question.

Badenoch said when the “inevitable u-turn on winter fuel comes, it will be from a desperate Prime Minister”.

The Prime Minister replied: “It’s only because of the measures we’ve taken that the economy is improving, growth at the highest rate in the G7, four interest rate cuts, three trade deals because countries want to trade with this country because of the decisions that we’ve made.”