A Scottish Labour government would reinstate the Winter Fuel Payment in Scotland, Anas Sarwar has announced.
The move will be seen as a rebuke of the UK Labour government’s decision to scrap payments to most pensioners.
Thousands of pensioners are facing losing the allowance this winter after the prime minister confirmed cuts to the winter fuel payment in order to fill what Labour refers to as a £22 billion “black hole” in the public finances.
The Scottish Labour leader has now sought to distance himself from the UK-wide Labour leadership by focussing on what the Holyrood government can do to reinstate payments.
This year, the Winter Fuel Payment was set to be replaced by a devolved Scottish benefit titled Pension Age Winter Heating Assistance. But devolution of the benefit has been delayed and will be under full operational control of Holyrood from next year. Labour claims the SNP has handed the power for this benefit back to the DWP.
Sarwar said: “The winter fuel payment was supposed to be a devolved benefit this year and there were additional resources available to the Scottish government through the Household Support Fund.
“That meant we could have taken a different approach in Scotland to support more households this year – instead, the SNP decided to hand the power back to the DWP.
“For months I have said that the eligibility criterion of pension credit is too low and called for a Scottish solution to this issue.
“That’s why Scottish Labour will take back this devolved power from the DWP, reinstate the winter fuel payment, and deliver a fairer system to ensure that everyone who needs support gets it.”
Sarwar added that the Labour government is “clearing up the mess left by a chaotic Tory government” — but Scotland is “demanding a new direction”.
“In 2026 we have the opportunity to deliver it with a Scottish Labour government.”
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