FUEL FURY
Keir’s half-baked Winter Fuel U-turn leaves millions of pensioners in limbo and STILL without vital £300 payment
The PM admitted ministers are looking at ditching the proposed cuts amid growing public fury
SIR Keir Starmer has left millions of pensioners in limbo after performing a half-baked U-turn on plans to axe their Winter Fuel Payments.
The PM cracked under pressure after a voter backlash, but still refused to say how many OAPs would be spared or whether help will come in time for this winter.
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He claimed more pensioners could be made eligible “as the economy improves” and kicked any decision into the autumn Budget.
Labour had vowed to strip the payment, worth up to £300, from those earning over £11,500 - in one of Rachel Reeves’ first acts as Chancellor.
But the move backfired, with fury on the doorstep and local election losses blamed on the cut.
Sun readers so concerned they were rationing energy in their home
By TARA EVANS, Head of Consumer
CHANCELLOR Rachel Reeves announced in July last year a change to rules which stripped 10million pensioners of the Winter Fuel Allowance.
Previously anyone over 66 could get the payment worth up to £300.
But now only people over 66, in England and Wales that receive Pension Credit or certain means-tested benefits such as Universal Credit can get it.
This year over 150,000 pensioners were also set to lose the payment, according to new government data.
Around 760,000 households eligible for Pension Credit have not made a claim.
To get Pension Credit you must get less than £227.10 a week if you’re single or £346.60 if you have a partner (and this is your combined income).
The government cuts last year inspired The Sun to launch our Winter Fuel SOS campaign to help thousands of pensioners worried about energy bills.
We opened up a helpline to take calls from readers and give expert advice.
I spoke to readers who were so concerned that they were rationing energy in their home or cutting back on food, as they were struggling to pay their bills after losing the payment.
We also helped readers claim back cash, including ex-construction worker Richard Holden, 75, get back £4,000 in backdated pension credit payments after we discovered he was owed cash.
Speaking in the Commons, Sir Keir said: "As the economy improves, we want to make sure people feel those improvements in their days as their lives go forward.
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"That is why we want to ensure that, as we go forward, more pensioners are eligible for winter fuel payments.
“As you would expect we will only make decisions we will afford. That is why we will look at that as part of a fiscal event.”
Downing Street was unable to say how many more pensioners would now qualify - or whether any change will happen this year.
Instead, Sir Keir’s spokesman said it would happen “as quickly as possible”, but refused to commit to a timeline.
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Tory chief Kemi Badenoch argued it was a “joke” to say that Sir Keir's partial u-turn on winter fuel payments is a reaction to the economy improving.
She also insisted it will be “too late” if the PM waits until the Autumn Budget to set out the details.
It comes after media reports last week revealed discussion on the policy within No 10 had intensified after focus groups showed Labour could be forgiven if there was a full or semi U-turn.
Ministers are said to be considering whether to give more pensioners the allowance, by increasing the £11,500 income cut threshold over which they no longer get the payment or by reversing it altogether.
A reversal – or even a partial U-turn – will be seen as a sweetener to scores of Labour MPs who have vowed to rebel over looming benefit cuts.
Some 100 Labour backbenchers – more than a quarter of the party’s parliamentary numbers – have signed a letter urging ministers to scale back the shake-up.
But earlier today, Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall vowed to press ahead with slashing the health element of Universal Credit and tightening disability benefit rules.
In a speech in London, Ms Kendall argued the reforms will "help ensure our welfare state is sustainable for the future" and will be be crucial to fighting "the rise in populist politics".
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