Changes to winter fuel payments: will older people be left in the cold?

Rumours abound today that the winter fuel payment is set to be limited to those on the lowest incomes, and that the age limit will rise. This is a tricky one – while we can see that focusing the payment on those with genuine need does make sense, and it is reasonable to raise the age at which people receive it to when they retire or reach State Pension Age, we also know how essential this allowance is to so many older people. At Independent Age we have witnessed first-hand how older people can be extremely vulnerable in cold weather.

Means-testing the payment could mean it won’t reach all of those that need it most. We already know that too many older people don’t claim their entitlements, and surely the most vulnerable should be protected. But fuel costs have also risen so dramatically in recent years that they have disproportionately affected many older people, including those on middle as well as lower incomes. Removing the payment for people in both these groups could too easily mean the choice between fuel and food.