UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer Reverses Winter Fuel Payment Cuts, Expanding Eligibility for UK Pensioners Amid Backlash

 Winter Fuel Payment is attracting significant attention in the United Kingdom because Prime Minister Keir Starmer has reversed a controversial policy that limited the annual payment to only low-income pensioners.

The original plan aimed to cut spending but sparked backlash, including from Labour MPs. Starmer now says more pensioners will qualify again, although changes will depend on economic conditions and be addressed in the next fiscal statement.

The initial restriction, part of Chancellor Rachel Reeves' budget tightening measures, excluded millions of retirees not on means-tested benefits. Critics blamed the policy for Labour’s weak performance in local elections. The revised plan may raise the income threshold above £11,500 to include more elderly citizens. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch criticised the U-turn, calling it politically driven. Final details are expected in the government’s autumn fiscal event.