Labour demands clarity on winter fuel payments after minister’s remarks
Jeremy Hunt has been urged by Labour to say whether he and Rishi Sunak agree with a minister who said stripping wealthy pensioners of winter fuel payments should be considered.
On Sunday, The Telegraph published a recording in which John Glen, the Paymaster General, questioned last month whether the benefit should continue going to all pensioners.
Mr Glen said the money could be better spent on tackling child poverty. The Treasury made clear that changes to winter fuel payments would not be announced in the Autumn Statement on Wednesday.
But Darren Jones, Labour’s shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, has written to Jeremy Hunt, the Chancellor, about the comments and demanded clarity.
“Pensioners will be deeply concerned about such speculation, especially ahead of winter, and anxious that their incomes may be under threat from this Government,” wrote Mr Jones.
“Clarify whether this is the view of the Prime Minister; clarify whether this is the view of HM Treasury; clarify what discussions have been held regarding the future of the winter fuel payment; explain which groups of pensioners the paymaster general does not think should receive the winter fuel payment; and confirm whether the Government is considering any other changes to pensioners’ incomes, and whether the Government remains committed to the triple lock on the state pension.”
The Treasury has yet to respond to the letter.
Mr Glen made his comments at a Cambridge University Conservatives event in St John’s College on Oct 26. At the time, he was chief secretary to the Treasury, the second most senior ministerial role in the Treasury.
The winter fuel payment ranges from £250 and £600 and is for those born before Sep 25 1957 to help with energy bills. Some 11.4 million pensioners received it last winter, meaning, in theory, that millions could lose out if it becomes means tested.
The Government’s public position is that the benefit should remain universal, meaning that pensioners receive it regardless of their financial situation.
But Mr Glen expressed interest in changing that approach so that well-off pensioners would not get the payment.
On Sunday, the Treasury made it clear that a change would not be announced in the Autumn Statement. A government spokesman said: “That is not something we are going to do.”
