Overview

• Scottish Labour has introduced amendments to the Social Security (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill to reinstate winter fuel payments for the majority of pensioners in Scotland.
• Under the proposed plan, payments would be universal but could be reclaimed from wealthier households based on income thresholds set by the Scottish Government.
• The move follows the UK Government's decision to means-test winter fuel payments, which reduced funding to Scotland and limited eligibility to pensioners on means-tested benefits.
• Labour has criticized the SNP for not reinstating the payments earlier and accused them of failing to allocate additional funds intended for vulnerable groups this winter.
• The SNP has called Labour's proposal hypocritical, pointing out that the UK Labour government introduced the means-testing policy in England and Wales.