New Winter Fuel Payment rules introduced by Labour will be mirrored in Scotland, with thousands of pensioners across the north-east, Highlands and islands to lose help with their energy bills.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced sweeping changes to the eligibility rules for top-up benefit on Monday
Rather than everyone aged 65 and over receiving the cash, it will now be means tested.
To qualify, someone will have to be in receipt of another benefit such as pension credit.
Age UK and money saving expert Martin Lewis have criticised the plans, which Labour say they’re forced to introduce to fill a £22 billion budget blackhole left by the Conservatives.
What do Winter Fuel Payment changes mean for pensioners in north and north-east Scotland?
The Scottish Government has confirmed it has “no alternative” but to mirror the changes adopted by Labour.
Tens of thousands of pensioners who have been eligible to receive the payment of between £100 and £300 toward their energy bills previously will be affected.
In 2022-23, more than 171,000 people in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Highland, Orkney, Shetland, Western Isles and Moray received the payment.
The change at a UK level will affect Scotland’s budget, reducing the extra knock-on cash Holyrood receives.
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Despite all efforts to review our financial position we have been left with no choice but to follow the UK Government and restrict payments to older people who receive relevant eligible benefits.
“This is a necessary decision when faced with such a deep cut to our funding and in the most challenging financial circumstances since devolution.
“The reduction we are facing amounts to as much as 90% of the cost of Scotland’s replacement benefit, the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment.
“Given the UK Government’s decision to restrict payments to those in receipt of means-tested benefits, such as Pension Credit, and the implications for the Scottish Government detailed above, I have urged the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to undertake a benefits take-up campaign for Pension Credit and to move forward with plans for a social energy tariff.
“Both of these measures will provide some further protection to energy customers in greatest need.”
Changes leaves pensioners ‘out in the cold’
West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine MP Andrew Bowie attacked both Labour and the SNP for the decision.
The Conservative MP said: “In 2022, Braemar in my constituency saw Britain’s lowest temperature — minus 15C.
“Aboyne also averaged 0C for an entire week.
“Older people here already feel that they are on the precipice when it comes to heating their homes.
“The Scottish Government has already forced pensioners to rip out log-burners and coshed emergency heating solutions.
“This move by Labour and the SNP is now leaving them even further out in the cold.
“It only took a few weeks for Labour to start attacking the pockets of some of society’s most vulnerable people.
“But the SNP government has the devolved powers to set its own winter fuel payments. It does not have to mirror Labour’s reckless approach.
“The last evidence of this was the SNP’s decision to decouple Cold Weather Payments from the UK rate — meaning people living in some of our coldest areas got a £50 flat rate last year, when they would have been due three times that amount from the DWP.”
Conversation