Starmer acknowledges need for swift clarity on winter fuel payments

The sooner the Government provides clarity about which pensioners will get the winter fuel payment in future, the better, Sir Keir Starmer has acknowledged.

The Prime Minister also did not steer away from suggestions that an announcement on the payment could come at the spending review on June 11.

Ministers decided to limit the payment, worth up to £300, to only the poorest pensioners in one of its first acts of Government.

Some 10 million pensioners saw the payment withdrawn, which had previously been made universally to even the very rich.

The move was aimed at addressing what the Government said was a £22 billion “black hole” in the public finances.

But last month in a partial U-turn, the Prime Minister suggested he wanted to see the payment go to more pensioners.

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Means-test

The decision to means-test the payment was said to have come up on the doorstep with voters in recent local elections, and the Runcorn and Helsby by-election, which saw Reform UK win the constituency from Labour.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, the Prime Minister said: “I want to look again at where the threshold is. That’s for sure. I’ll be clear with you.

“In relation to that, I do think it was our duty to stabilise the economy and to fill in that £22 billion black hole. And I’m not going to resile from that.”

Ministers “need to be absolutely clear where the money is coming from” before they set out details of a partial U-turn on the winter fuel payment, Sir Keir said.

He added: “But I take your point, which is that if we want to look again at which pensioners are eligible, then the sooner we have clarity on that, the better.”

Sir Keir did not rule out that further details could come at the spending review next week, only saying there were “lots of moving parts” in the review.

Last week, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner also signalled further details could come in the June 11 statement to the Commons, describing it as the “first opportunity” to do so.

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Signal

Elsewhere in his interview with the BBC, the Prime Minister gave a strong signal he is considering scrapping the two-child benefit cap.

Proponents of getting rid of the limit parents can claim for certain benefits related to their children say it could be the most effective way to eradicate child poverty.

Asked by BBC Radio 4 about moves to scrap the cap, the Prime Minister said: “I don’t think this is a silver bullet. I will say that straight away.

“I think there are many measures that contribute to child poverty, and therefore I don’t take the sort of binary approach: ‘It’s either this or nothing.’

“On the other hand, as I say, as we go forward with this review, I am clear in my own mind that I want this Labour Government to bring down child poverty, and I’m determined that that is what we will do.”

The Government’s flagship strategy aimed at tackling child poverty has been delayed until the autumn, with the aim of aligning it with the budget.

Scrapping the cap is among the measures which could be unveiled as part of the child poverty strategy.