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FM 'delighted' over PM's U-turn on cuts to winter fuel payments

FM 'delighted' over PM's U-turn on cuts to winter fuel payments

ITV News21-05-2025

The prime minister's official spokesman said Starmer wanted the changes to be introduced 'as quickly as possible', as ITV News Political Correspondent Carl Dinnen explains
The First Minister has said she is 'delighted' after the Prime Minister confirmed the UK Government is rethinking the controversial cuts to winter fuel payments for pensioners.
The Prime Minister said that 'as the economy improves' he wanted to look at widening eligibility for the payments worth up to £300.
But officials were unable to say how many more pensioners would be eligible or if the policy would be altered in time for this winter.
In response, Eluned Morgan said:
"I'm delighted the Prime Minister has listened to the concerns I expressed to him and will rethink the eligibility for winter fuel payments."This is in keeping with the values of our Red Welsh Way.
"The cuts to the Winter Fuel Payment caused real concern to people across Wales.
"We are yet to hear the details of the announcement, but I'm hopeful that significantly more people will now benefit from the payment."
The decision to means-test the previously universal payment was one of the first announcements by Chancellor Rachel Reeves after Labour's landslide election victory last year and has been widely blamed for the party's collapse in support.
The Government insisted the policy was necessary to help stabilise the public finances, allowing the improvements in the economic picture which Sir Keir said could result in the partial reversal of the measure.
He said he understood the financial pressures on pensioners as he made the announcement at Prime Minister's Questions.
'I recognise that people are still feeling the pressure of the cost-of-living crisis, including pensioners,' Sir Keir told the Commons.
'As the economy improves, we want to make sure people feel those improvements in their days as their lives go forward. That is why we want to ensure that, as we go forward, more pensioners are eligible for winter fuel payments.'
He said the Government will 'only make decisions we can afford' and will therefore look at this as part of a 'fiscal event' – indicating a change will not be announced before the Chancellor's autumn budget.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch challenged Sir Keir in the Commons, calling him 'desperate' while leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Darren Millar MS has called for more clarity:
"It's unclear from the Prime Minister's statement whether all Welsh pensioners who have lost out will actually have their Winter Fuel Allowance reinstated.
"That's why the Welsh Conservatives have made it clear that we would introduce our own Welsh Winter Fuel Allowance, funded by cutting the Welsh Labour Government's bloated bureaucracy.
"Our pensioners shouldn't have to accept anything less."
Plaid Cymru 's Work and Pensions spokesperson, Ann Davies MP said:the announcement as a 'half-turn' rather than a U-turn:
'Keir Starmer's latest remarks offer little comfort to the around 600,000 Welsh pensioners affected by the Winter Fuel Payment cut last winter.
"That decision sent a clear and callous message: that this UK Government does not care about older people.
"The trust that was broken cannot simply be restored with vague promises made months after the damage was done."

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