Millions to lose Winter Fuel Payment as MPs vote in favour of benefit being means-tested

dailyrecord.co.uk:

MPs have voted to make the Winter Fuel Payment means-tested in the House of Commons.They voted against a Tory attempt to block the Labour Government's plans to stop all pensioners receiving the benefit by 348 votes to 228 on Tuesday afternoon.Chancellor Rachel Reeves caused anger in July when she announced plans to take up to £300 from ten million pensioners by means-testing the payment.Her proposals, designed to save £1.5bn, have been criticised as older people on modest incomes will lose out at a time of rising energy costs.Around 900,000 older Scots will miss out due to the cut.

Most of those who are still eligible for the payment receive Pension Credit.The Scottish Government has delayed plans to provide a similar universal benefit this winter due to a lack of funding.It blamed a loss of £160 million through the decision taken by the UK Government.It comes after former Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard urged the UK Government to scrap the plans.Leonard told the Record: "For me the treatment of our older citizens is a test of our values as a society."We know the oldest pensioners are the poorest pensioners: many of them older women with no occupational pensions."And we know that providing universal support to reach everyone who needs it is not only morally right, it is much cheaper than means testing."This plan should be scrapped and replaced with a wealth tax.”A Labour minister had said earlier on Tuesday that there are “plenty of very wealthy pensioners” who do not need the winter fuel payment.In a Westminster Hall debate work and pensions minister Emma Reynolds said: “In protecting the poorest pensioners on the lowest incomes and with the greatest need, it is the right decision given the tough choices that we