Thank you to those who have emailed me about changes to the Winter Fuel Payment. The changes to eligibility for Winter Fuel Payment have caused a great deal of debate, and I was pleased to hear the Prime Minister in the House of Commons recently expressing his wish to change the system so that more pensioners can become eligible for winter fuel payments, when fiscal conditions allow.

We inherited public finances that were in a terrible mess and had to take swift action to stabilise the economy. That included the difficult decision to means-test winter fuel payments so that they were targeted at those with the greatest need.

The economy is now showing signs of recovery because we took the right decisions to restore stability and fix the black hole in the public finances. The UK is currently the fastest growing economy in the G7, interest rates have been cut four times, and we have strengthened the economy by securing the new trade deals discussed above.

But many people are still struggling with the cost of living, including pensioners, so as the economy recovers, we want more people to feel the benefits of that in their lives. That’s why we would like to expand the number of pensioners who are eligible for Winter Fuel Payment when economic conditions allow and we can identify how to fund it.

Best wishes

Rt Hon Hilary Benn
MP for Leeds South
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland