- Some expat pensioners living in the EU remain eligible for winter fuel allowance
Some expat pensioners living in the EU will remain eligible for the winter fuel allowance, while millions of people living in Britain will go without.
Last month, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced that pensioners in England and Wales who are not on pension credit or other means-tested benefits will no longer get winter fuel payments worth between £100 and £300. The changes kick in next month.
Labour has claimed the move will save around £1.4billion a year.
Due to the Brexit withdrawal agreement, some pensioners living in the EU will still be able to claim winter fuel allowance, even if their wealth breaches Reeves’ newly imposed thresholds for England and Wales.
Disparity: Expat pensioners living in the EU will remain eligible for the £300 winter fuel allowance, while millions of people living in Britain will go without under Rachel Reeves’ plan
British expats living in the EU, or Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland are guaranteed the allowance thanks to the Brexit withdrawal agreement.
According to The Telegraph, approximately 35,000 retirees on the Continent are in line to get the winter fuel allowance payout.
On Friday, Ofgem revealed that a typical household’s annual energy bill will rise by £149 in October under the new price cap.
People using an average amount of gas and electricity will pay £1,717 a year, representing a 10 per cent increase.
On Tuesday, Sir Kier Starmer said the decision to axe universal winter fuel payments, was necessary to repair what he claimed was a £22billion ‘hole’ in the public finances.
He said the move was ‘necessary to repair the public finances.’
Reeves also defended the move, stating this week: ‘It was a decision that I had to make in incredibly challenging circumstances to put our public finances on a firm footing.’
Energy bosses have been called in for talks by the Government today on helping vulnerable households during winter months.
Bosses from Centrica, EDF, E.On, Octopus Energy, Scottish Power, Good Energy, Rebel Energy, Ovo, So Energy, Ecotricity and Utility Warehouse are meeting at the roundtable event with the Government.
Citizens Advice, Energy UK and Ofgem bosses are also attending the roundtable event.
Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said restricting the winter fuel payment to those on pension credit or other benefits was ‘reckless and wrong’ and ‘spells disaster for pensioners on low and modest incomes.’
Age said it planned to fight the decision and has launched a petition on the matter.
Citizens’ Advice boss Dame Clare Moriarty has called for a ‘social tariff’ in the form of discounted bills for those least able to afford them.
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