Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many households received the winter fuel allowance during the year 2021/22; what was the cost to public funds of this payment; and by how much the cost of the payment would have been reduced if it had been subject to income tax (1) on the same basis as is state retirement, and (2) only for taxpayers liable for higher rate 40 per cent income tax.

The latest published winter fuel payment statistics for 2019/20 show that 8.2 million households in Great Britain received a winter fuel payment. The overall cost was £2bn.

The Department for Work and Pensions does not hold details of individuals’ taxable income therefore we cannot calculate how much the cost of the payment would have been reduced if it had been subject to income tax (1) on the same basis as is state retirement, and (2) only for taxpayers liable for higher rate 40 per cent income tax.