Last Updated: May 22, 2025
Sir Keir Starmer announced plans for the cuts to winter fuel payments to be eased in the coming winter after millions missed out last year.
During Prime Ministers Questions (PMQs) this week, Sir Keir Starmer said that ministers will be changing the threshold to qualifying for winter fuel payments in hopes that more older people will be able to access the pension top-up this coming winter. When winter fuel payments became means-tested last year, over 10 million older people missed out on additional payments of up to £300.
It remains unclear as to how many people will regain this allowance or when these changes will come into effect. During the PMQs on Wednesday 21st, Sir Keir Starmer said that the policy would be changed in the autumn Budget. However, he did add that ministers would only make changes that the Government can afford.
The winter fuel payment is an extra allowance of £200 a year awarded to households with a pensioner under 80 or an allowance of £300 for households with pensioners over 80 paid in either November or December.
Last winter, roughly 10.3 million older people missed out on the payment when the Government restricted eligibility to include only those who qualify for pension credit and other income-related benefits in order to save an estimated £1.4bn. This decision was faced with much criticism from unions and charities supporting older people.
Gordon Brown, former Labour prime minister and originator of the winter fuel payment, said, ‘No pensioner should be forced into poverty, if they have served the country all their lives, if they can not afford heating because they don’t have the funds to do so.’
Age UK, one of the many charities opposed to the cuts, has welcomed the change but highlighted that any new system should ensure pensioners on ‘low and modest incomes’ would be able to keep the payments.
Amy Dodge, Head of Influencing at Independent Age, said, ‘We welcome the Prime Minister’s announcement on the winter fuel payment [on Wednesday]. Linking the entitlement to Pension Credit was misguided, and meant far too many older people on low incomes fell through the cracks. Since the changes were announced last July, we have been urging the UK Government to widen the eligibility criteria so that more older people in financial hardship are supported.
‘While this news will bring some relief to older people on a low income who lost the Winter Fuel Payment, there will still be a period of uncertainty and anxiety until details about who is eligible are clearly announced and detailed. […] The UK Government must provide clarity and act now.’
Fran Heathcote, General Secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union, said, ‘We need to see the full detail, but we hope the Government will U-turn in full and restore the Winter Fuel Payment as a universal benefit.’
The Prime Minister’s spokesperson declined to guarantee if these changes would apply to this coming winter but said, ‘We obviously want to deliver this as quickly as possible.
‘We will only make decisions when we can say where the money is coming from, how we’re going to pay for it and that it’s affordable.’
For more information about winter fuel payments, click here.
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