Winter Fuel Payments reinstated for thousands of households in major U-turn

The quality was confirmed by Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville, who said those successful receipt of qualifying benefits similar Pension Credit would get £200 oregon £300 depending connected their age

Winter Fuel Payments are being reinstated for each pensioner households successful Scotland - but not until adjacent year.

The quality was confirmed by Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville, who said those successful receipt of qualifying benefits similar Pension Credit would get £200 oregon £300 depending connected their age. All different pensioner households volition get £100. Only 1 outgo volition beryllium made per households.

An estimated 900,000 pensioners successful Scotland are missing retired connected a Winter Fuel Payment this wintertime aft the UK Government scrapped the cosmopolitan entitlement. Previously, everyone implicit authorities pension property received a Winter Fuel Payment - but now, you indispensable beryllium successful receipt of a means-tested benefit.

The Winter Fuel Payment successful Scotland is being replaced by the caller Pension Age Winter Heating Payment. This caller payment was owed to beryllium introduced this year, but the Scottish Government had antecedently confirmed it was being delayed until adjacent year.

Ms Somerville besides announced a further £20million for the Scottish Welfare Fund and the aforesaid magnitude for Warmer Homes Scotland successful this fiscal year. The Scottish Government, she said, has been forced to “mitigate” decisions made by the UK Government.

She said: “There has been change, but that alteration is that we are present mitigating against a Labour Government and not a Tory one. We person not taken this determination lightly, fixed the important pressures connected the Scottish Government’s budget, but this Scottish Government is determined to enactment existent to our values.

“On our watch, we volition dainty radical successful this state with fairness, dignity and respect. We volition not wantonness older radical this winter, oregon so immoderate winter, and we volition proceed to support our pensioners from the harsh world of a UK Labour Government.”

Scottish Conservative Social Security spokeswoman Liz Smith accused ministers of "hoodwinking" pensioners, arsenic immoderate households volition person a reduced £100 payment. But Ms Somerville said: “We person returned to a cosmopolitan outgo for pensioners, and that is an important rule we are determined to clasp to.”

In different parts of the UK, you inactive request to beryllium supra authorities pension property and successful receipt of a means-tested payment to get a Winter Fuel Payment. This includes:

• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Pension Credit
• Universal Credit

However, a benignant of ineligible assertion known arsenic judicial reappraisal has been launched by Govan Law Centre (GLC) successful the Court of Session successful Scotland - but if successful, its result could besides past beryllium applied successful England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

GLC claims the Government failed to decently measure however the changes to the Winter Fuel Payment would impact authorities pensioners. It besides argues that the Government failed to decently consult radical of authorities pension property astir the changes.

However, the afloat proceeding won't beryllium until January 15, 2025, which volition beryllium excessively precocious to halt the cuts this winter. It is unclear if a palmy effect could effect successful retrospective payments being made astatine a aboriginal date, oregon what it could mean for aboriginal payments.