Use extra Winter Fuel Payment money to boost Scottish heating payment

Responding to today's announcement today about changes to the Winter Fuel Payment for pensioners, Adam Stachura, director of policy at Age Scotland, said:

“It is good news that the Prime Minister has finally accepted removing the Winter Fuel Payment in the way he did was the wrong decision. It is regrettable that it has taken him so long and so many who needed it went without this winter.”

“While there is very little detail of how it will be reintroduced in other parts of the UK, it is vital that any new money coming to Scotland as a result is used by the Scottish Government to directly increase the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment. It shouldn’t be used just to cover the current budget line or repurposed elsewhere.

“The planned basic rate of £100 next winter just isn’t enough for most Scottish pensioner households as hundreds of thousand live in fuel poverty and struggled to heat their homes without it.

“We urge the First Minister to make a firm commitment to do this and ensure that more older people are better supported through our tough winters and the cost of living crisis.”