The Winter is a tough time for many, but particularly for our pensioners. This year they will also have to contend with facing the cold winter months without their Winter Fuel Payment, thanks to Westminster cutting this benefit. Indeed, one of the first actions of the new Labour UK Government was the decision to cut the Winter Fuel Payment, a cut which will affect some of the most vulnerable during the coldest months of the year.
As a result, a pensioner who received the £200-£300 Winter Fuel Payment and the £300 Pensioner Cost of Living Payment last year will be up to £600 worse off this winter.
This decision was made by Keir Starmer with less than 60 minutes notice and without any consultation with the Scottish Government. In recent weeks, we’ve seen freezing temperatures hit Scotland; at one point there was a 24°C difference between the north of Scotland and the south of England, highlighting how disproportionately this cut affects Scots. It also put into perspective how callous this policy really is; with no impact assessment being carried out, many have already been forced to choose between eating or heating this Winter. All at a time when the UK Government is allowing our energy bills to soar by up to £168, having been elected on a promise to cut fuel bills.
In the face of these cuts, the SNP Scottish Government has stood up to protect pensioners at their time of need by reintroducing a universal Pension Age Winter Heating Payment for Scots that will benefit nearly 1 million pensioners from next year. In the meantime, an additional £40 million is to be allocated to the Scottish Welfare Fund and Warmer Homes Scotland to help the most vulnerable this winter.
While this will be welcome news for many, this is just the latest in a long line of mitigations that the Scottish Government is taking against damaging Tory and Labour policies. In this parliamentary term alone, the Scottish Government has spent nearly £1 billion mitigating against Westminster austerity. This is money that could be invested in our education system, our NHS, or into our public transport services.
Labour’s winter fuel mess contrasts starkly with Scotland’s status as an energy-rich country, where our people pay some of the highest energy bills in Europe. This week the Scottish Government’s budget will come before Parliament and the re-introduction of the Winter Fuel Payment will be on the table. All parties have the chance to back its reintroduction to help protect Scotland’s pensioners – the question is, will they take it?
