Social Security Advisory Committee: Winter Fuel Payment Debate

Full Debate: Read Full Debate
Department: Department for Work and Pensions

Social Security Advisory Committee: Winter Fuel Payment

Kirsty Blackman Excerpts
Tuesday 12th November 2024

(1 day, 12 hours ago)

Commons Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Watch Debate Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Emma Reynolds Portrait Emma Reynolds
- View Speech - Hansard - - - Excerpts

The previous Government promised 13 years ago to merge housing benefit with pension credit, which would be a significant advance towards improvements. We are introducing that in January. We will have been in power for only six months, but we will have done more than the previous Government did in 14 years.

Kirsty Blackman Portrait Kirsty Blackman (Aberdeen North) (SNP)
- View Speech - Hansard - -

Many pensioners are terrified of going into debt and do not want to switch on their heating in case they end up with massive bills. Temperatures will drop below freezing in Scotland at the beginning of next week, so will the Minister apologise to those pensioners across Scotland who will not be able to put the heating on because they fear going into debt?

Emma Reynolds Portrait Emma Reynolds
- View Speech - Hansard - - - Excerpts

I urge the hon. Lady to look at the support available to low income households through the warm homes discount scheme, the extension of the household support fund and our commitment to the triple lock, which will ensure that 12 million pensioners see a rise in their pension of up to £470 next year, and £1,900 over the course of this Parliament. In the longer term, I urge her to look at the detail of the warm homes plan, which will transform homes across the country by making them cleaner and cheaper to heat.