Winter fuel payments Scotland: John Swinney gives major update on payments for pensioners

First Minister John Swinney has provided an update on winter fuel payments in Scotland.

John Swinney has claimed pensioners in Scotland will not be short changed as he committed to the devolved version of the winter fuel payment matching the value of the UK benefit.

Earlier this month the Labour UK government said it was reinstating a winter fuel payment of up to £300 for pensioners with an income of less than £35,000 in England and Wales.

There were fears this would leave pensioners in Scotland receiving less money, as the scheme introduced by the SNP would give them only £100 unless they were in receipt of pension credit or over the age of 80.

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However, the First Minister on Monday confirmed that no pensioner in Scotland would receive less money than those south of the Border.

John Swinney speaks to journalists following First Minister's Questions at the Scottish Parliament. Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

During a speech in Glasgow, Mr Swinney said: "I can confirm today that no pensioner in Scotland will receive less under the new UK government scheme. The details will be set out soon, but the Scottish Government will always seek to do what's best for Scotland's pensioners."

In his speech, Mr Swinney also said he was "appalled" when the Labour government in Westminster scrapped universal winter fuel payments last summer.

He said: "To be blunt, I don't believe cutting winter fuel payments was ever going to save a penny because making millions of pensioners poorer makes them colder, which makes them sicker.

"That is turn puts up the bill for social services and the NHS."

The First Minister also hit out at Scottish Secretary Ian Murray over how much money would be coming the Scottish Government’s way from the Treasury for the winter fuel payments.

Mr Swinney questioned Mr Murray’s claim that it will be around £250 million.

John Swinney | PA

He said: “We will set out the details about winter fuel payments in due course, but there’s no way in a month of Sundays it will be £250m. I don’t know what Ian Murray was blathering on about.

“Anyone looking at what the UK government was setting out, who then extrapolated £250m, is not one to be relied upon with the sums. It will be much closer to £120m.”

Mr Swinney was then asked if he would apologise for cutting the payments over the recent winter. The First Minister said while he had the power to stop the cuts, he did not have the money.

“If the UK government cuts a budget, I can’t then spend it,” he said.

“What we’ve done is taken a series of hard decisions to allow us, before the Labour government came anywhere near doing a U-turn on this, to restore winter fuel payments to pensioners.

“The SNP has kept faith with pensioners in Scotland, when the Labour Party deserted them.”

The universal winter fuel payment was cut last summer by Chancellor Rachel Reeves. In last week’s Spending Review, the Chancellor announced her government would be widening access to winter fuel payments to all pensioners in England and Wales with an income of less than £35,000.