The decision to reinstate the winter fuel payment should have been made “a long time ago”, Scotland’s Social Justice Secretary has said.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves said on Monday that nine million pensioners will be in receipt of the payment this year after a cut was announced in the first weeks of the Labour Government last summer.
The initial decision was met with heavy backlash and forced the Scottish Government to delay the implementation of its own devolved benefit.
John Swinney’s administration later announced a similar payment for pensioners which would be tapered and see those on the highest incomes receiving £100, compared to £305.10 for those on the least.
Monday’s announcement will result in cash being sent to the devolved administration at Holyrood, and Scottish Labour has urged the Government to increase its payments.
But Scotland’s Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said the decision was “a betrayal” of pensioners.
“I welcome any extension of eligibility by the UK Government, but this is a U-turn the Chancellor should have made a long time ago,” she said.
“But there is still no detail about how the Chancellor intends to go about that. Unfortunately, it still sounds as if many pensioners will miss out.”
Ms Somerville added that the Scottish Government had not been consulted on the decision and urged UK ministers to “ensure the Scottish Government is fully appraised of the proposed changes as soon as possible”.
“The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government wrote to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury last week to urge the UK Government to share its plans with us as quickly as possible, so that we can understand any implications for our own programmes and, crucially, our budget,” she said.
Scottish Labour MSP Paul O’Kane said: “The winter fuel payment is a devolved payment in Scotland and Scottish Labour has long been clear that we want to see it reinstated for the majority of pensioners up here – but despite their loud spin, the SNP voted against our attempts to do so.
“The SNP must not go ahead with plans that would rob poorer pensioners in order to fund payments for millionaires.
“The SNP must re-examine their own proposals in light of this game-changing announcement, ensure payments reach those most in need, and give a cast-iron guarantee that no struggling Scottish pensioners will be left out of pocket under their plans.”
The Scottish Government’s plans were initially to provide a universal payment to pensioners, but the proposals were scuppered by the Chancellor’s announcement of the cut last summer, forcing ministers to create a different system for this winter.
