Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of means-testing the winter fuel payment on elective care waiting lists.

No assessment has been made on the potential impact of means-testing the winter fuel payment on elective care waiting lists. The Government is committed to putting patients first. This means making sure that patients are seen on time and ensuring that people have the best possible experience during their care.

The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out an expectation that performance will increase from the current 58%, as of December 2024, to 65% by March 2026, with every trust expected to deliver a minimum 5% improvement by March 2026.