Winter Fuel Payments

Oral Answers to Questions — Work and Pensions – in the House of Commons at 2:30 pm on 7 December 2009.

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Photo of Shona McIsaac Shona McIsaac Labour, Cleethorpes 2:30, 7 December 2009

What steps her Department is taking to support older people during the winter months.

Photo of Yvette Cooper Yvette Cooper The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

This winter, older people will again receive the higher levels of winter fuel payment: £250, and £400 for the over-80s. We are also maintaining the cold weather payment at last year's higher rate this winter.

Photo of Shona McIsaac Shona McIsaac Labour, Cleethorpes

Given that, of all the initiatives introduced by the Government, the winter fuel payment is probably the most universally popular with the over-60s, what does my right hon. Friend think of Members who have described that assistance as a gimmick and believe that it should be abolished?

Photo of Yvette Cooper Yvette Cooper The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

There are pensioners across the country who certainly do not regard extra cash in their pockets at the time when they need it most as a gimmick. They regard it as a lifeline that helps them to pay their fuel bills in the winter. In 1997-98, about £60 million a year was spent on helping pensioners with fuel bills; now we spend about £2.7 billion a year. I think that that represents a justifiable increase in investment in helping people to get through the winter months.