Vital winter fuel payments will kick in THIS YEAR raising hope for millions… but some pensioners may not be eligible

RACHEL Reeves has raised hopes for millions of pensioners by confirming that changes to winter fuel payments will kick in this year.

The Chancellor confirmed that the benefit will be reinstated for many this winter as officials thrash out how many more elderly people will receive it.

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Treasury staff are understood to be working on an announcement which will come as early as next week's Spending Review - following last week's u-turn.

Speaking in Rochdale, Ms Reeves said: “We have also listened to the concerns that people had about the level of the means test. So we will be making changes to that.

"They will be in place so that pensioners will be paid for this coming winter."

However, pensioners are being warned that not everyone in the age cohort will be eligible.

The warning shot was fired after Sir Keir Starmer last week insisted that that more pensioners would receive up to £300 a year.

The government brought an end to the universal winter fuel benefits last July within a month of coming into power.

But when pressed about whether the winter fuel payment would return across the board, Pensions Minister Torsten Bell said the answer was “no”.

He said: “The principle I think most people, 95% of people, agree, that it’s not a good idea that we have a system paying a few hundreds of pounds to millionaires, and so we’re not going to be continuing with that.

“But we will be looking at making more pensioners eligible.”
He added that he did’t have “lots to add” above what the Prime Minister has said in recent days.

The decision comes after Labour’s support partially collapsed in last month’s local elections - with much support heading to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.

The PM paved the way for a partial u-turn over the government’s decision to strip winter fuel payments from millions of pensioners.

The Prime Minister said “as the economy improves”, he wanted to look at widening eligibility for the payments worth up to £300.

However, officials have been unable to say how many more pensioners would be eligible.

The decision last year to axe the universal payment meant the number of pensioners receiving the payment was reduced by around 10 million, from 11.4 million to 1.5 million.

Pension credit is the primary benefit by which pensioners can receive the winter fuel payment.

The credit tops up incomes for poorer pensioners and acts as a gateway to additional support, including the winter fuel payment.