Energy bill support will be withdrawn from millions of pensioners by the Labour Party in a blow to older households.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced that Winter Fuel Payments will no longer be universal and will only be available to pensioners on means-tested benefit support, such as Pension Credit.
While speaking in the House of Commons, Reeves stated that she “did not want to have to do this” but the £20billion “black hole” in the public finances left by the last Conservative-led Government has led to strict fiscal rules.
Winter Fuel Payments are annual tax-free payment for older people to help cover the cost of living, namely with rising energy bills.
Households can get up to £300 from this support and Britons have been eligible if they were born were born on or before September 20 1958.
However, the qualifying criteria has been changed in Reeves’ first intervention of handling the public finances.
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