Scottish Labour will force a vote designed to re-design the Scottish Government’s winter fuel payments, despite them being cut because of a decision by the UK Government.
Within weeks of taking office, Chancellor Rachel Reeves set off a political firestorm by announcing the winter fuel payment would be means-tested, cutting spending and ultimately scuppering the Scottish Government’s plan to offer its own universal counterpart.
But last week, Scottish Labour announced it would bring in re-designed payments, which would lower the bar for those who would receive them if it won the 2026 Holyrood election.
And on Monday, the party announced it would seek to bring the payments back by forcing a vote in Holyrood during stage three of the Social Security (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill.
Amendments submitted by the party would require ministers to make regulations that would make all pensioners eligible for winter heating assistance, while also allowing for any payments made to be recovered if the recipient’s household income exceeds an amount set by ministers.
Currently, winter heating assistance – as described in the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 which the current Bill is designed to amend – is “assistance (which may or may not take the form of money) given by the Scottish Ministers under section 24 to an individual to meet, or help towards meeting, the individual’s heating costs during the winter months”.
The amendments would appear to make changes to the devolved benefit the Scottish Government pushed back until next year after the Chancellor’s announcement.
Scottish Labour’s social security spokesman Paul O’Kane said: “Scottish Labour has been clear that if wins the 2026 election, we will reinstate the winter fuel payment for thousands of pensioners – but people shouldn’t have to wait that long.
“Next week will we have an opportunity to take a different approach in Scotland and ensure that every pensioner who needs a payment gets one.
“Across the UK Labour is cleaning up the mess left behind by the Tories, but Scotland needs a change of direction too.
“The SNP has offered a lot of warm words on Winter Fuel Payments, so it would be a gross betrayal if the SNP fails to back these amendments.
“Already the SNP has failed to pass on to £41 million of support intended for the most vulnerable people in Scotland this winter.
“We have the money and the powers we need – now is the time for action.”
Scotland’s Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “This is hypocrisy on stilts from Labour.
“After betraying millions of pensioners by taking away their winter fuel payment, they now expect people to believe that they can be trusted to stand up for pensioners.
“After voting against an SNP Government motion calling for the Winter Fuel Payment to be reintroduced, they now demand a vote on the Winter Fuel Payment.
“And after promising that people’s energy bills would fall if they were in government, they now have to explain why bills have already risen by £150 – and are set to rise again in January.”
She said Labour is “absolutely panicking as they haemorrhage support in communities across Scotland”.
