Sir Stephen Timms has addressed the shake up to £300 Winter Fuel Payment criteria in the Commons.

The Department for Work and Pensions has broken its silence over tightening eligibility so an eye-watering NINE MILLION people miss out. Sir Stephen Timms has addressed the shake up to £300 Winter Fuel Payment criteria in the Commons.

The Labour Party MP said: “The Government has had to make hard choices to bring the public finances back under control. Linking Winter Fuel Payment eligibility to Pension Credit and other means tested benefits ensures that the least well-off pensioners still receive the help they need.”

He said: “Increasing the eligibility threshold for the Winter Fuel Payment would effectively mean raising the prescribed rates of Pension Credit.” He continued: “Raising the level of the single person’s standard minimum guarantee in Pension Credit so that it matches or exceeds the full rate of the new State Pension to allow entitlement to the Winter Fuel Payment would draw more pensioners into means testing; thus undermining the rationale for the new State Pension – the full rate of which is set at a level higher than the Pension Credit standard minimum guarantee for a single person.”

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He went on to say: “The primary purpose of Pension Credit is to provide poorer pensioners with a guaranteed income level, and we know there are eligible pensioners who aren’t claiming Pension Credit.

“This is why, since September, we have been running the biggest ever Pension Credit take-up campaign. We want to ensure as many people as possible have access to Pension Credit and the other support it leads to.”

The scheme had previously given up to £300 each winter to ALL households with someone at state pension age. However, in July, the Government announced that from this winter, it will be restricted to those on Pension Credit or certain other benefits.

For winter (2024/25), if you live in England, Scotland or Wales, you’ll only be able to get a Winter Fuel Payment of up to £200 (£300 for over-80s) if you’re over state pension age AND receive one of the following benefits:

• Pension Credit
• Universal Credit
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• Income Support
• Child Tax Credit
• Working Tax Credit