Winter fuel payment SCRAPPED for 100,000 Scots – check if you're impacted
The new plans will see only 720,000 pensioners benefit from the increased payment
NATS chiefs today scrapped the winter fuel payment for around 100,000 pensioners despite slamming Sir Keir Starmer's decision to cut the payment last year as a 'betrayal'.
SNP ministers announced they would follow Chancellor Rachel Reeves and only pay the benefit to elderly people who have an income of less than £35,000.
Advertisement
1
Social justice secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: 'This approach ensures a higher level of support"
Credit: Alamy
In Scotland, this will be worth £203 for those under 80, and £305 for those over 80 - slightly higher than the £200 and £300 payments in England and Wales.
However, the previously planned £100 payment to all pensioners has been scrapped, leaving the richest without a winter fuel payment.
The new plans will see 720,000 pensioners benefit from the increased payment, around 100,000 fewer than the 815,000 set to receive the universal payment.
Social justice secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: 'This approach ensures a higher level of support which those most in need will receive.
Advertisement
'The UK Government's decision to cut the Winter Fuel Payment last winter was a betrayal of millions of pensioners, and their recent U-turn is welcome if belated.'
Following the Chancellor's u-turn, all pensioners in England and Wales will now get a Winter Fuel Payment or £200 or £300 - but the cash will be clawed back via the tax system for anyone who earns over £35,000.
The changes announced by Ms Reeves last week will result in further funding increases for the Scottish Government, which the First Minister said is expected to be around £120million.
And Nats ministers said they would use that cash to mirror the Westminster policy for their own devolved benefit called the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment.
Advertisement
It comes after John Swinney insisted on Monday no Scottish pensioner would 'receive less than they would under the new UK scheme'.
Speaking at an event on public sector reform in Glasgow, the First Minister hit out at the initial decision to cut the benefit.
Fuel duty hike is double blow after Winter Fuel Payment loss, says pensioner
He said: 'To be quite blunt about it, I don't believe cutting this winter lifeline was ever going to save a penny.
'Making millions of pensioners poorer makes them also colder and makes them also sicker, and that in turn puts up the bill for our social services and our NHS.'
Advertisement
He added: 'It's one of the reasons we were so quick to step in to protect pensioners in Scotland as best as we could from that wrong decision by the UK Government.
'But now that they've seen the error of their ways, my Government will once again do the right thing by Scotland's pensioners.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Glasgow Times
28 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
First Bus scores big win at Scottish Transport Awards 2025
The achievement, which First Bus were presented with at the Scottish Transport Awards in Glasgow, celebrates the performance of First Bus across Greater Glasgow and Aberdeen over the last year. The award was open to Scottish bus, rail, tram and ferry operators. READ NEXT: Abusive social media posts directed at MSPs tripled in past year (Image: First Bus (Picture credit: Newsquest)) First Bus was recognised for its efforts to improve customer experience, reduce journey times and improve reliability. Its investment in zero-emission buses and infrastructure was also commended as the operator continues its commitment to running a fully zero-emission fleet by 2035 with over 270 zero-emission buses in operation across Greater Glasgow and Aberdeen. The operator also collected a second award on the night for Excellence in Technology and Innovation, receiving recognition for its use of AI-driven timetables to improve reliability for customers on its services across Scotland. First Bus used the new timetables on over 60 services in the last 12 months to improve their performance, which led to several routes experiencing improvements in punctuality by over 30% as a result. READ NEXT: Tesco tease plans to improve popular superstore Duncan Cameron, First Bus Scotland managing director, said: 'I am delighted First Bus has been recognised as Scotland's Public Transport Operator of the Year. 'We have worked extremely hard to make real, tangible changes to the overall customer experience while also doing everything in our power to ensure our services across Greater Glasgow and Aberdeen are more reliable for passengers. 'The award belongs to our thousands of colleagues across the country whose tireless efforts every day ensure we continue to deliver for our customers.'
Glasgow Times
28 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Scottish Government ending use of WhatsApp after criticism
The Government had previously agreed to end its use of WhatsApp and other non-official messaging applications by spring next year. READ NEXT: First Bus receive huge accolade at Scottish Transport Awards 2025 The policy comes into force on Friday though some teams will continue to phase out the app by the end of the year. As part of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, it emerged ministers and top civil servants deleted WhatsApp messages which had been requested by the inquiry team. The Conservatives attacked former first minister Nicola Sturgeon in particular for deleting messages, though she said they did not relate to Government business. Her successor, Humza Yousaf, ordered a review of mobile messaging which was carried out by Emma Martins – the former Channel Islands data protection commissioner. READ NEXT: Abusive social media posts directed at MSPs tripled in past year Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said the policy will apply to all Scottish Government employees, including contractors, senior civil servants, special advisers and ministers. Ms Forbes said: 'We are setting out a clear approach to ending Government use of mobile messaging apps, and this will support wider work to deliver on our commitment to openness and transparency. 'The use of mobile messaging apps increased during the pandemic as staff worked remotely in unprecedented and difficult circumstances. Having reflected on our working practices, we are now implementing changes to the use of such apps. 'This follows on from actions to implement other recommendations from Ms Martins's externally-led review including updating our hybrid working policy. 'I want to reassure the public that it is a priority of this Government to maintain secure and searchable data, ensuring compliance with all records management rules. 'We will continue to act to ensure our data policies are robust, especially considering technological advances.' Opposition MSPs have said the new policy is a 'clear admission' from the Government that the pandemic deletions were wrong. Scottish Conservative MSP Craig Hoy said: 'This is as close as we'll get to an apology from the SNP for the shameful, industrial-scale deletion of Covid WhatsApp messages which was orchestrated by John Swinney and Nicola Sturgeon. 'This change in policy is all well and good but the horse has already bolted for bereaved families who were denied the answers they deserved over the decisions taken by SNP ministers during the pandemic. 'Secrecy and evasion are hardwired into this SNP Government, so the Scottish people will not be duped into thinking one overdue concession marks a change in culture.'
Scottish Sun
34 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Five freebies and discounts parents on Universal Credit can get worth up to £3,286
Check to see what vouchers you could get your hands on CASH IN Five freebies and discounts parents on Universal Credit can get worth up to £3,286 Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) PARENTS on Universal Credit could be entitled to freebies and deals worth over £3,000. With childcare costs on the rise, looking after growing tots can be challenging. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Family Nature Walk: Parents and Children Enjoying Summer Forest Stroll Credit: Getty But for struggling families there may be some extra cash and perks they can get their hands on - some of which they may never had heard of. Here is what is available... PREGNANCY GRANT - £500 New parents can claim this one-off grant within 11 weeks of the baby's due date or up to six months after the baby is born. It's a payment worth £500 to help with the cost of having a child. Parents will need to print out and fill in the Sure Start Maternity Grant (SF100) claim form and have it signed by a doctor or midwife. You could qualify for the Sure Start Maternity grant if you're claiming benefits and expecting your first child. You can also qualify if you have children already and are expecting twins or triplets. HEALTHY START - £442 New or expectant parents can get up to £442 worth of free food a year through the Healthy Start scheme. Anyone more than 10 weeks pregnant or with a child under four years old and on benefits can apply online or via email. The scheme issues parents with a card they can use in supermarkets, which gives them free access to milk, frozen and tinned fruit and vegetables and tinned pulses. Disability benefit explained - what you can claim The full list of benefits qualifying you for the scheme is: Income Support Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance Income-related Employment and Support Allowance Child Tax Credit with a family income of £16,190 or less per year Pension Credit Universal Credit with no earned income or total earned income of £408 or less per month for the family Parents can also apply for the scheme if you are under 18 and not on any benefits. You can find out more about the scheme in our full guide. FREE CHILDCARE - £1,739 Parents on Universal Credit may also be entitled to help with childcare costs. You'll need to be working - and your partner if you live with them - or have a job offer. But it doesn't matter how many hours you or your partner work. You can get 85 per cent of your expenses paid each month up to a maximum of £1,014 for one child or £1,739 for two or more kids. FREE SCHOOL MEALS - £500 Children whose parents receive income support such as Universal Credit, Job seeker's Allowance and Child Tax Credits can receive free school meals. How you apply depends on your personal circumstances - some people may be able to via their local council, while others might have to speak to their children's school directly. Type your postcode into the Government's website to see who to contact and how to apply at The exact amount you'll get depends on where you live, but the help is worth around £460 on average per child per year, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies. If you're eligible for free school meals, you may also get similar help during school holidays including Christmas and Easter, as well as half terms. If your child is eligible for free school meals, they'll also qualify for the Holiday Activity and Food Programme offering kids free activities to take part in outside of school.
