Social Security Advisory Committee: Winter Fuel Payment

Lord Dodds of Duncairn Excerpts

Thursday 14th November 2024 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Sherlock (Lab)]

I am grateful to the noble Lord, especially for the first half of that encouragement. The Government had to make some difficult choices. Deciding not to pay the winter fuel payment to people who do not need it was one of those choices. Inevitably, that causes some challenge and concern, particularly for those who are around the margins, as with any system of means testing. That has been challenging, but I take the advice of the noble Lord and we will look again to make sure that we are properly explaining to people what is happening and that those who need this most will still get help. I hope that they will not just get the help of the winter fuel payment, but potentially thousands of pounds in pension credit as well.

[Lord Dodds of Duncairn (DUP)]

Have the Government carried out any assessment of the differential impacts across the regions of England and the countries of the United Kingdom of this decision to axe winter fuel payments for most pensioners? There will be different impacts. Coming from Northern Ireland, we know some of the concerns there are, and the different levels of information that have been given out about people’s eligibility for pension credit and the campaign to encourage uptake.

[Baroness Sherlock (Lab)]

My Lords, the situation is different in different parts of the country. In Scotland, it is complicated by the fact that this is the first year it is devolved, so we have had to legislate in a different way to enable us to do that for Scotland but not for elsewhere in the UK. The Government have sought to make sure, by writing, across the piece, to 12 million pensioners, that we are directly engaging and that people are as aware as possible. There are also campaigns going on with partners in local government and voluntary organisations, as well as a media campaign on radio, television and social media. I will certainly check, go back and review that, and if I have any concerns that it is not being done appropriately in some parts of the United Kingdom, I will very happily come back to the noble Lord.