Starmer announces U-turn on winter fuel payment cuts

Sir Keir Starmer has announced a U-turn on last year’s controversial cuts to winter fuel payments.

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

Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions, Sir Keir said ministers would look again at the threshold to allow “more pensioners” to qualify again.

He did not provide further details, adding that the changes would be made at a future Budget.

But he added the govenrment would only “make decisions we can afford”.

The winter fuel payment is a lump-sum amount of £200 a year for pensioners under 80, increasing to £300 for over-80s, paid in November or December.

Last year, the government restricted the payments to those who qualify for pension credit and other income-related benefits, in a bid save £1.4bn.

The move did not feature in Labour’s general election manifesto, and meant around nine million pensioners no longer qualify for the top-up.

Some Labour MPs have blamed the policy for losses at last month’s local elections, where Labour lost around two-thirds of the seats it was defending.