Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Winter Fuel Payment changes on residents of Hazel Grove constituency in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025.

Data on Winter Fuel Payments made in winter 2024/25 is available on Stat Xplore. In Winter 2024/25, 1,855 Winter Fuel Payments were made in Hazel Grove constituency to households with someone receiving Pension Credit or certain other income-related benefits. This compares to 21,000 payments made in Hazel Grove constituency in winter 2023/24, when Winter Fuel Payments were made universally to those above State Pension age.

The Government has increased the level at which Winter Fuel Payments are means-tested in England and Wales from winter 2025/26 so that the vast majority of pensioners, around 9 million individuals, will benefit from them.

The Government has been clear that the Winter Fuel Payment should be means-tested on the basis of income. Winter Fuel Payments will thereby remain targeted by income, but with lower- and middle-income pensioners benefitting. For higher income pensioners, those with an annual income of more than £35,000, the payment will be recovered via the tax system.

Estimates for winter 2025/26 are not available at the Parliamentary Constituency level. Statistics covering the winter 2025/26 period will be published in September 2026.