Latest news with #Scottishpensioners
Telegraph
18-06-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
SNP ‘slap in the face' to pensioners after scrapping universal winter fuel payment plan
SNP ministers have been accused of delivering a 'slap in the face' to Scottish pensioners after scrapping plans to give them a winter fuel payment. John Swinney, the First Minister, had promised that every pensioner would receive at least £100 regardless of their income, arguing that the benefit should be universal. But the SNP Government announced it had ripped up the plan and only pensioners with income of less than £35,000 would receive help. OAPs with higher incomes will still receive the payment, but will have to hand back the sum via their tax return or PAYE. Less well-off pensioners will get £203.40 if they are aged under 80, and £305.10 if they are older – marginally higher amounts than the £200 and £300 paid in England and Wales. The announcement came only weeks after Mr Swinney argued that the winter fuel payment should be restored to 'all pensioner households'. Speaking ahead of a meeting with Sir Keir Starmer on May 23, he called for a 'national mission' to raise living standards and a 'restoration' of the benefit 'so all pensioners get a payment'. 'Policy abandoned in a heartbeat' Mr Swinney's U-turn means eligibility for the benefit in Scotland is now the same as south of the border, where the UK Government has already announced a £35,000 income threshold. Control over the winter fuel payment, however, is devolved to the Scottish Government, meaning Mr Swinney had the power to introduce a universal benefit instead. More than 720,000 pensioners are expected to receive the payment, but Age Scotland, a charity for the elderly, estimated that 160,000 would miss out. Liz Smith, the Scottish Tories' shadow social security secretary, said: ' The SNP, like Labour, shamefully betrayed pensioners by axing universal winter fuel payments, before being forced into a humiliating climbdown by the public outcry. 'But this latest announcement means that hundreds of thousands of Scots will not have the payment even partially restored – despite John Swinney's promise that they would. This latest slap in the face will not be forgotten or forgiven by the pensioners affected.' Adam Stachura, policy director at Age Scotland, said: 'The policy making on this payment has been guddled, lacked consultation, and politically charged throughout. 'While this is partly to do with the speed of the UK Government's original change and subsequent U-turn, the Scottish Government's repeated commitment to universality and its benefits has been abandoned in a heartbeat.' He also argued that the Scottish payment being £3 or £5 higher than in England was 'pretty meek', as the colder climate north of the border meant energy bills were higher. Shirley-Anne Somerville, the SNP's Social Justice Secretary, said: 'Following careful consideration of the options available, the Scottish Government will mirror the approach taken by the UK Government. We will bring forward regulations to ensure that, from this winter onwards, all pensioners will receive either £203.40 or £305.10 per household, depending on age. 'We are in discussion with the UK Government to extend the proposed arrangements in England and Wales to recover payments from those pensioners with an individual income of more than £35,000 through the tax system. The intention is that the payment will be recovered automatically, and pensioners will not need to register with HMRC for this or take any further action.' UK Government's major U-turn The Treasury has said that the 'vast majority' of pensioners south of the border with income over £35,000 will have the benefit automatically clawed back through PAYE, while a minority will have to fill out a self-assessment tax return. The Labour Government announced last July the introduction of a means-tested cap to the payment for pensioners in England and Wales. This meant that millions of OAPs were no longer eligible. Although control over the benefit is devolved, Mr Swinney argued that he had no choice but to follow suit as the cut led to a £147 million reduction in the SNP Government's funding through the Barnett formula. The payment of between £100 and £300 only went to 130,000 Scottish OAPs in receipt of pension credit and other means-tested benefits last winter – 900,000 fewer than the previous year. Mr Swinney then used the record Budget settlement the SNP Government received from Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, to announce that all pensioners would receive a payment of at least £100 ahead of the winter. In a major U-turn last week, Ms Reeves said OAPs in England and Wales with an income below £35,000 per year would receive a higher sum. The Chancellor announced that households with a pensioner aged under 80 would get £200, while those with someone over 80 would get £300. However, those with an income of more than £35,000 would receive nothing. The announcement prompted Labour to demand that Mr Swinney review his plan to ensure that 'no struggling Scottish pensioners will be left out of pocket'. On Monday, the First Minister announced that Scottish pensioners would be no worse off than their English counterparts but refused to repeat his pledge that everyone would get at least £100.
Telegraph
16-06-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Scottish pensioners to get ‘at least the same' winter fuel payment as England
Pensioners in Scotland are to receive at least the same winter fuel payment as those in England, John Swinney has promised. The First Minister previously said that all Scottish pensioners would receive a payment of at least £100 ahead of the 2025-26 winter, regardless of their wealth. But in a big reversal last week, Rachel Reeves said all pensioners in England and Wales with an income below £35,000 a year would receive a higher sum. The Chancellor announced that households with a pensioner aged under 80 would get £200, while those with someone over 80 would get £300. However, those with an income of more than £35,000 would receive nothing. The announcement prompted Labour to demand that Mr Swinney review his plan to ensure that 'no struggling Scottish pensioners will be left out of pocket'. The First Minister used a speech on public service reform and preventative public health measures on Monday to confirm Scottish pensioners would not receive less than their English counterparts. However, he failed to provide further details. Speaking in Glasgow, Mr Swinney said: 'Keeping the winter fuel payment looks after our pensioners, but it also looks after our NHS. That is the sharp financial reality of the prevention principle in action. It is one of the reasons we were so quick to step in to protect pensioners in Scotland as best we could from that wrong decision by the UK Government. 'And now they have seen the error of their ways, my government will once again do right by Scotland's pensioners. I'm very happy to confirm today that no pensioner in Scotland will receive less than they would under the new UK scheme. 'Details will be set out in due course by my government, but the Scottish Government will always seek to do what is best for Scotland's pensioners.' Asked to confirm whether pensioners with income of more than £35,000 would still receive £100 in Scotland, he said further details would be revealed 'in due course'. But Liz Smith, the Scottish Tories' shadow social security secretary, said: 'The SNP followed shameful Labour's lead in axing universal winter fuel payments last year. 'And, like Keir Starmer, the Nationalists have been forced into a humiliating U-turn because of the huge public backlash. If cutting fuel payments to pensioners was the false economy John Swinney now claims it was, why did he copy Labour by ditching it in Scotland?' The Labour Government announced last July the introduction of a means-tested cap to the payment for pensioners in England and Wales. This meant that millions of pensioners were no longer eligible. Although control over the benefit is devolved, Mr Swinney argued that he had no choice but to follow suit as the cut south of the border led to a £147 million reduction in the SNP Government's funding through the Barnett formula. The payment of between £100 and £300 went to 130,000 Scottish pensioners in receipt of pension credit and other means-tested benefits last winter – 900,000 fewer than the previous year. Mr Swinney then used the record Budget settlement the SNP Government received from the Chancellor to announce that all pensioners would receive a payment of at least £100 ahead of the 2025-26 winter. Only those on certain means-tested benefits were scheduled to receive a higher amount of either £200 or £300, depending on whether they were aged over 80. Ms Reeves used last week's spending review to hand the Scottish Government an extra £9.1 billion over the next three years. A UK Government spokesman said: 'It is right that support for fuel costs is targeted. 'The Scottish Government will receive an uplift in their funding to support pensioners this winter.'
BBC News
16-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Scottish winter fuel payment 'will not be less than UK rate'
Winter fuel payments for Scottish pensioners will not be less than those being paid by the UK government south of the border, John Swinney has said. The first minister made the announcement after Chancellor Rachel Reeves U-turned on a highly controversial Scottish government had already said it would provide at least £100 to all pensioner households, with those on pension credit to receive up to £305 depending on age. But in a speech in Glasgow, Swinney confirmed no Scottish pensioner "will receive less than they would under the new UK scheme", without giving further details. Under the chancellor's scheme, every household with a person over the state pension age in England and Wales and an income of up to £35,000 will receive £200 for those aged up to 80 and £300 for those aged over those with an income of more than £35,000, the money will be recouped through the tax was heavily criticised for cutting universal entitlement to winter fuel payments in September last year, with only those on Pension Credit or other benefits Scottish government was due to take over responsibility for winter fuel payments in September - but the introduction of a new universal benefit was delayed after the UK government Scottish government later committed to launching its own winter fuel the plan, all households with a person over state pension age would receive an automatic £100 is to increase to £203 for those under the age of 80 on pension credits, and to £305 for those older than 80. It also includes an "opt-out" system for pensioners who are better off, meaning they can return the payment to the Scottish government or donate it to charity if they feel it is unnecessary.
