No decision on winter fuel allowance until autumn, minister says
Why winter fuel payment changes may not be revealed for months
- The government has been criticised for unclear messaging around upcoming changes to the winter fuel payment, with millions of pensioners left are uncertain.
- No decisions regarding the winter fuel allowance will be made until the Autumn budget, the science secretary has indicated, despite speculation of an announcement at next week’s spending review.
- Peter Kyle said that the spending review will set overall constraints for government departments, with specific allocations to be determined later.
- The government faces a challenge to implement changes between the October budget and the winter months, following Rachel Reeves' confirmation of a U-turn on controversial cuts for this winter.
- Changes to winter fuel payments, which previously provided £300 to help with energy costs, aim to target those most in need, with concerns raised about pushing 100,000 pensioners into poverty by 2026.