Swinney drops his pledge to OAPs on winter fuel cash

JOHN Swinney has quietly dropped his own winter fuel payment pledge, just months after it was launched amid great fanfare.

- By David Walker Politics Reporter

The First Minister proudly boasted that every pensioner in Scotland would receive the benefit by St Andrew’s Day after the UK Labour Government made it means-tested.

There have been U-turns from both governments since this announcement, with only older people who take home less than £35,000 in line for the payment, used to heat homes during the colder winter months. It means nearly 200,000 pensioners will miss out on these benefits.

Mr Swinney boasted that Social Security Scotland would pay a Pension Age Winter Heating Payment (PAWHP) to every Scots OAP by St Andrew’s Day.

But now, according to The Scotsman, the November 30 deadline has been quietly dropped, with the SNP quango now paying the benefit “from November” with the rollout continuing through the winter months.