{"id":189082,"date":"2025-06-16T13:31:12","date_gmt":"2025-06-16T13:31:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/189082\/"},"modified":"2025-06-16T13:31:12","modified_gmt":"2025-06-16T13:31:12","slug":"scottish-pensioners-to-get-same-winter-fuel-payments-as-those-in-england","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/189082\/","title":{"rendered":"Scottish pensioners to get same winter fuel payments as those in England"},"content":{"rendered":"

John Swinney has guaranteed pensioners will receive the same winter fuel payments as those in the rest of the UK following a major policy U-turn by the UK Government.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The First Minister says around \u00a3119m is expected to come to Holyrood from Westminster to help deliver the support this year.<\/p>\n

The Scottish Government had already pledged to provide \u00a3100 to all pensioners north of the border \u2013 with those on pension credit receiving up to \u00a3305 depending on their age, regardless of what the UK Government decided.<\/p>\n

But following a U-turn by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, Swinney says the Scottish Government will now match the new UK-wide payments.<\/p>\n

Last week, the UK Labour Government announced it was reversing part of its controversial decision to scale back winter fuel payments for around nine million pensioners in England and Wales.<\/p>\n

Under the revised scheme, pensioners earning \u00a335,000 or less will be eligible for winter fuel payments of \u00a3200 if they\u2019re under 80, or \u00a3300 if they\u2019re over 80.<\/p>\n

The move is part of a wider \u00a31.25bn policy reversal by the UK Government.<\/p>\n

While the changes announced by the Chancellor don\u2019t automatically apply in Scotland, Swinney has now confirmed pensioners here will receive the same level of support.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m very happy to confirm today that no pensioner in Scotland will receive less than they would under the new UK scheme,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cDetails will be set out in due course by my Government, but the Scottish Government will always seek to do what is best for Scotland\u2019s pensioners.\u201d<\/p>\n

The First Minister also took the opportunity to hit out at UK Labour Government\u2019s initial decision to cut the benefit.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo be quite blunt about it, I don\u2019t believe cutting this winter lifeline was ever going to save a penny,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaking millions of pensioners poorer makes them also colder and makes them also sicker, and that in turn puts up the bill for our social services and our NHS.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added: \u201cIt\u2019s one of the reasons we were so quick to step in to protect pensioners in Scotland as best as we could from that wrong decision by the UK Government.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut now that they\u2019ve seen the error of their ways, my Government will once again to the right thing by Scotland\u2019s pensioners.\u201d<\/p>\n

Age Scotland, the Scottish\u00a0charity for older people, welcomed the First Minister\u2019s announcement on Monday, but said the \u201cdevil is in the details\u201d.<\/p>\n

Adam Stachura, an associate director from Age Scotland, said the news will \u201creassure pensioners on low and modest incomes\u201d that they will be able to better manage their heating bills this winter.<\/p>\n

He said there has been \u201cconsiderable concern\u201d from many older people that they would receive less support than people in England and Wales.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis sensible move from the Scottish Government certainly allays that anxiety,\u201d Mr Stachura said.<\/p>\n

However, the charity believes the opportunity is now there to \u201cnot only match\u201d what pensioners in England and Wales are getting but to \u201coffer even more to those on the lowest incomes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe look forward to understanding how the Scottish Government will manage this payment this winter and what, if any, financial thresholds they place on its eligibility,\u201d Mr Stachura said.<\/p>\n

Swinney\u2019s political opponents have called the announcement a \u201cbid to save his job\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cTinkering around the edges won\u2019t cut it,\u201d Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a transparent bid by John Swinney to try and steady the SNP ship and save his job.\u201d<\/p>\n

Scottish Tory MSP Liz Smith accused the SNP of following \u201cLabour\u2019s shameful lead\u201d in axing universal winter fuel payments last year. She said Swinney has now been \u201cforced into a humiliating U-turn because of the huge public backlash\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cLabour and the SNP created huge anxiety, uncertainty and financial hardship for pensioners up and down the country and that betrayal will not be forgiven or forgotten,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n

STV News is now on WhatsApp<\/p>\n

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