Winter fuel payment in Scotland 'will not be less than UK benefit'

Winter substance payments for pensioners successful Scotland volition beryllium nary little than those being paid southbound of the borderline by the UK government, John Swinney has confirmed.

The Scottish archetypal curate made the announcement connected Monday successful airy of Chancellor Rachel Reeves's partial U-turn past week.

Mr Swinney said: "I americium precise blessed to corroborate that nary pensioner successful Scotland volition person little than they would nether the caller UK scheme.

"Details volition beryllium acceptable retired successful owed people by my government, but the Scottish authorities volition ever question what is champion for Scotland's pensioners."

It comes aft the Labour authorities backtracked connected its controversial cut to the erstwhile cosmopolitan benefit.

Pensioners successful England and Wales who gain nether £35,000 volition present person £200 for those aged up to 79, and £300 for those aged implicit 80.

The Scottish government, which was forced to hold plans for a caller cosmopolitan payment pursuing Westminster's determination past summer, had already partially U-turned.

Under the devolved proposal, each pensioners northbound of the borderline were told they would person astatine slightest £100 successful 2025/26.

Those successful receipt of pension recognition oregon different benefits were promised either £203 oregon £305, depending connected their age.

While speaking to journalists, Mr Swinney said the alteration successful argumentation from the UK authorities would summation Holyrood's backing by astir £120m.

In a statement, the archetypal curate said: "The wintertime substance outgo kept immoderate of the astir susceptible successful nine lukewarm successful wintertime - it was ever the close happening to bash but it was besides the astute happening to do.

"Smart due to the fact that it kept radical retired of hospital, successful their ain home. It kept them lukewarm and well. And past it was gone.

"To beryllium rather blunt astir it, I don't judge cutting this wintertime lifeline was ever going to prevention a penny due to the fact that making millions of pensioners poorer makes them besides colder and makes them besides sicker and that successful crook puts up the measure for our societal services and our NHS.

"It is an astir textbook explanation of a mendacious economy."

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Scottish Tory MSP Liz Smith accused the SNP of pursuing Labour's "shameful" pb erstwhile the cosmopolitan outgo was scrapped past year.

She added: "And, similar Keir Starmer, the nationalists person been forced into a humiliating U-turn due to the fact that of the immense nationalist backlash.

"If cutting substance payments to pensioners was the mendacious system John Swinney present claims it was, wherefore did helium transcript Labour by ditching it successful Scotland?

"Labour and the SNP created immense anxiety, uncertainty and fiscal hardship for pensioners up and down the state and that betrayal volition not beryllium forgiven oregon forgotten."