Devolved government to issue payments of up to £100 to pensioners affected by Winter Fuel Payment cuts
An estimated 249,000 people over State Pension age affected by the eligibility rule change to the Winter Fuel Payment are to receive a one-off payment of up to £100 before the end of March. Pensioners in Northern Ireland are set to receive a payment of £100 if they are living alone and £50 will be issued to each eligible person over 66 living in one household.
The Pension Age Fuel Support Payment Scheme is aimed to be delivered before the end of March, with payments to be delivered directly into bank accounts. It’s a move that will be of interest to the 850,000 people in Scotland who missed out on Winter Fuel Payments after the Scottish Government followed Westminster’s policy change to only provide the annual heating help of up to £300 to those in receipt of means-tested benefits such as Pension Credit.
READ MORE: £203 heating help for people aged between 66 and 79 due later this year
READ MORE: New call for £100 monthly winter heating payment for people over 60 or long-term sick
Stormont Communities Minister Gordon Lyons announced last November a one-off payment for those affected by the cut, and secured £17 million from an in-year monitoring fund for the move. Appearing at the Stormont Communities Committee on Thursday morning, David Tarr said the total value of the payments is estimated to be around £18 million, excluding administration and IT costs.
Conrad McConnell said following the announcement by the minister that work started “immediately” to get the payment out.
“There are an estimated 179,000 households in Northern Ireland expected to receive this payment,” he said. We started work immediately once the announcement was made to put in all the necessary IT and logistical arrangements to ensure the issuing of the payments before the end of March.
“We have a dedicated team in place which meets weekly and works on this every day to make this happen on time. There are lots of strands involved in this work.
“But despite all the complexity across all the various strands of work … we are on track to have the payment paid before the end of March 2025.”
Committee chair Colm Gildernew said he welcomed the payment after the “disgraceful” cut by the Labour Government.
Winter Fuel Payments in Scotland
From winter 2025/26, all pensioners in Scotland will receive a minimum of £100 through the devolved Pension Age Winter Heating Payment. Those on Pension Credit will receive either £203 or £303, depending on their age and household circumstances.
A couple from Coatbridge are due to have the next stage of their legal bid to reverse the UK and Scottish Government's Winter Fuel Payment policy change heard at the Court of Session in Edinburgh on March 14.
The legal challenge was brought by Florence and Peter Fanning, who are represented by former SNP MP Joanna Cherry KC and the Govan Law Centre.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) recently confirmed 9.2 million pensioners across the UK did not receive the heating help this winter. However, some 1.5m, including 125,000 older people living in Scotland - mostly on Pension Credit - did receive a payment of between £100 and £300 by the end of January.
