Commenting on reports the Government is considering rethinking the changes it introduced to the Winter Fuel Payment, Matthew Cole, CEO of Fuel Bank Foundation, said:
“Reforming the Winter Fuel Payment was necessary to ensure support to pay for energy goes to those who need it most. But the Government drew the line in the wrong place. The cuts were too blunt and resulted in many pensioners, who were just above the new threshold, but had previously relied on the payment to stay warm, missing out.
“A tapered approach would have been far fairer – avoiding the cliff edge situation many people found themselves in overnight, with no time to adapt.
“We would also have liked to see the savings from reducing eligibility for the Winter Fuel Payment reinvested in tackling the root causes of fuel poverty – improving home insulation, expanding targeted energy support, and ensuring no one has to choose between heating and eating.
