Rebel Labour MSPs back SNP in winter fuel payment vote

The party instead called on the Scottish government to reinstate the fuel insecurity fund to support pensioners.

While Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said he believed the means tested criteria for the benefit was “too tight”, he defended Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s decision.

After the UK government cut universal winter fuel payments for millions of pensioners south of the border, the Scottish government said it had no choice but to follow suit in introducing means testing – meaning it will only be given to those receiving pension credit.

It is expected to result in about 900,000 fewer pensioners in Scotland getting the payment.

After the vote, Swinney said: “Today Anas Sarwar made his choice – it is more important for him to lie down for Sir Keir Starmer than stand up for vulnerable pensioners in Scotland.”

The first minister said the Scottish government had been “forced” to cut universal entitlement for winter fuel payments because the Labour government’s decision meant Holyrood would lose out on about £150m in Treasury funding.

He said that money would have provided about 80% of the funding for a new a Holyrood-managed equivalent – the pension age winter heating payment (PAWHP) – which was scheduled to be introduced last month.

The payment has been pushed back to winter 2025.

Swinney called on the prime minister to reverse the UK government’s “damaging” decision, which he said was “not in the spirit of devolution”.

He warned vulnerable pensioners were facing the “double whammy” of increased energy costs and the winter fuel payment cut.