PM's winter fuel U-turn may be too late for millions

Sir Keir Starmer has been forced into a dramatic U-turn over the government’s controversial winter fuel payment cuts after months of mounting anger from voters and Labour MPs.

- KATE DEVLIN and MILLIE COOKE

In a major climbdown over Rachel Reeves’s decision to strip payments from 10 million pensioners, the prime minister said he wanted to look at widening eligibility “as the economy improves”. But No 10 refused to say whether the changes would be in place by this winter – or who would be affected – meaning cash-strapped pensioners could face another winter of misery.

The decision to means-test the annual payment of up to £300, rather than give it to all pensioners, was widely blamed for Labour’s disastrous recent local election results, which saw Nigel Farage’s Reform party surge to take 677 council seats in England.

Sir Keir is battling to turn around his party’s fortunes amid fears of a rebellion from backbenchers over benefit cuts, anger over his language on immigration and difficult poll ratings.

Sir Keir told the Commons during Prime Minister’s Questions yesterday: “I recognise that people are still feeling the pressure of the cost of living crisis, including pensioners. As the economy improves, we want to make sure people feel those improvements in their days as their lives go forward. That is why we want to ensure that, as we go forward, more pensioners are eligible for winter fuel payments.”

But Labour MPs, including Ian Lavery and Zarah Sultana on the left of the party, urged their leader to go further and reverse the cuts in full, while Welsh first minister Baroness Eluned Morgan said she wanted “significantly” more pensioners to get the cash.