Overview

• Government modelling predicts 100,000 additional pensioners could fall into poverty by 2027 due to the cut in winter fuel payments.
• The policy change restricts the payment to those on pension credit, aiming to save £1.5 billion annually.
• Critics, including opposition parties and charities, argue the cuts will worsen conditions for vulnerable pensioners.
• Scottish Labour plans to reverse the cuts if they win the 2026 Holyrood election, proposing a more equitable system.
• Efforts to increase pension credit uptake and additional support measures, like the warm home discount, are part of the government's mitigation strategy.