Scottish Labour Pushes for Universal Winter Fuel Payments in Holyrood Vote

Labour proposes amendments to reinstate payments for most pensioners, with potential clawbacks for higher-income households.

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.