Overview

• Prime Minister Keir Starmer signalled a partial U-turn on last year’s means-testing of winter fuel payments and intends to restore support to additional pensioners.
• Treasury minister Darren Jones confirmed that expanded payments will exclude high earners so subsidies reach the households most in need.
• The autumn budget will set out detailed eligibility criteria and funding arrangements for the revised winter fuel payment scheme.
• Ministers are reviewing the two-child benefit cap under pressure from Reform UK and campaigners seeking to ease limits on child support.
• The welfare policy revisions reflect efforts to reduce child poverty and address voter backlash after Labour’s poor local election performance.