All Scottish pensioners to get winter fuel payment | Global News Avenue

Every pensioner in Scotland will receive a winter fuel subsidy next year, the Scottish Government has announced.

Social Justice Secretary Shirley Anne Somerville told the Scottish Parliament that those in receipt of qualifying benefits such as pension credit will receive £200 or £300 depending on age, while all other pensioners will receive £100.

The funds will be paid for through the new Holyrood benefit, which will not be ready until the end of 2025.

Earlier this year, the UK government removed the universal entitlement to winter fuel payments (set at £200 or £300), with only those in receipt of pension credit or other benefits eligible.

The Scottish Government was due to take over responsibility for winter fuel payments in September, but the rollout of the new universal benefit north of the border has been delayed following the UK Government’s decision.

Somerville said changes to England’s eligibility rules left it facing a £150m shortfall and leaving it with no choice but to postpone the scheme until the end of 2025.

The change means an estimated 900,000 pensioners in Scotland will lose their fuel subsidy this winter.

Scottish Conservative social care spokesperson Liz Smith accused ministers of “cheating” pensioners by “pretending” to introduce a full winter fuel subsidy, when in fact some will receive a reduced £100 subsidy.

Somerville told Scottish MPs that by next winter these Scots will be entitled to the newly devolved Pension Age Winter Heating Charge (PAWHP).

She said: “This universal benefit – providing much-needed support unavailable anywhere else in the UK – will support all pensioner families as we continue to work on the UK government’s decision to introduce means-tested, cuts to winter fuel payments. Funding was always intended to do so this winter we could provide £147 million to support new benefits in Scotland.

“We will not abandon our seniors this winter or any winter.

“We will do our best to ensure that no one has to decide between keeping warm and eating, and we will continue to protect pensioners.”

The Social Justice Secretary also announced an extra £20 million in welfare funding for councils this financial year and an additional £20 million for the Scottish Warm Homes scheme.

A further £1 million will also be provided to social landlords and the third sector to support homelessness prevention work.

Somerville’s announcement was seen by some as an attempt to defeat Scottish Labor leader Anas Sarwar, who has vowed to undo some of the cuts imposed by his Westminster colleagues.

Labor MP was calling on the scottish government Extra UK government funding will be used to provide universal coverage for pensioners at Holyrood this year, thanks to the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement.

Labor MP Paul O’Kane stressed that the £41m support package announced for Somerville this financial year amounted to a boost to Holyrood’s cash through an increase in Treasury spending on the UK Family Support Fund.

He also pointed out a Scotland’s budget to increase by £3.4bn next year Due to the chancellor’s autumn spending announcement.

The British government said the decision to cut winter fuel bills was due to the “black hole” in public finances left by the previous Conservative government.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the increase to the state pension – expected to rise by £460 a year in April – would “outweigh” the losses for those who do not receive the winter fuel benefit.

However, the increase to the state pension will be spread throughout the year from April next year, while winter fuel costs are usually paid in November or December.

It follows reports that up to 40% of eligible pensioners did not apply for the pension credit.

However, New UK government data There has been a surge in claims since the chancellor revealed her plans to make winter fuel payments means-tested.

Reeves announced the move on July 29. In the 16 weeks since then, around 150,000 applications for pension credit have been received across the UK, an increase of nearly 150% compared to the 16 weeks before the Chancellor’s announcement.

However, the number of approvals increased by only 17% during the same period, while the number of rejections almost doubled from 27,100 to 53,100.

That means a further 81,000 people have received the extra cash since the summer, out of a possible 880,000 people the government has deemed eligible for the money.

The UK government is urging pensioners to check if they are eligible for the benefit.

Those who applied before December 21 will receive retroactive payments of pension credit and winter fuel allowance.

The Department for Work and Pensions has deployed an extra 500 staff to handle benefit claims.