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THE PRIME MINISTER HAS SAID THE MOVE WILL HELP TO 'STABILISE THE ECONOMY' 12:35, 21 May 2025Updated 18:07, 21 May 2025 Sir Keir Starmer has declared that he wants to make more

pensioners eligible for winter fuel payments, months after his government cut the number that are eligible. The Prime Minister's comments come just weeks after Downing Street ruled out

going back on the decision to have the payment be means-tested and restricted to those under the £11,500 threshold. Sir Keir has faced mounting pressure in recent weeks from Labour ranks to

change course over the squeeze on benefits. Speaking on Wednesday during Prime Minister's Questions at the House of Commons, he emphasised the need for 'tough decisions' to be

made in order to 'stabilise the economy'. "We want to make sure people feel those improvements in their days as their lives go forward," he said. "That is why we

want to ensure that as we go forward, more pensioners are eligible for winter fuel payments." The Prime Minister added that any decision that gets made will come as part of a fiscal

event. Finding a mechanism to widen eligibility for the payment will cause headaches in Whitehall, because officials fear that simply increasing the pension credit threshold to which access

is linked would also increase take-up of that benefit, wiping out any potential savings. Earlier this month, Starmer rejected calls for a U-turn over the decision to strip the extra help

from millions of pensioners. The Prime Minister’s press secretary said the Government will not be “blown off course”, while Cabinet minister Wes Streeting added that there was no formal

review of the measure. The decision last July to restrict the winter fuel payment to just the poorest pensioners was intended to save around £1.5 billion a year, with more than nine million

people who would have previously been eligible losing out. The annual payments are worth up to £300 to pensioners and offer a relief from the rising cost of energy bills. Article continues

below During Wednesday's PMQs, Sir Keir was told he has "failed" to tackle the cost-of-living crisis by Conservatives leader Kemi Badenoch, who questioned how the public could

"ever trust" the Prime Minister again after the "inevitable U-turn". Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey called on the Prime Minister to reverse his cuts to the winter

fuel payment in full.