Latest News In UK\US | Winter fuel payment cuts could push 50,000 pensioners into poverty

Government estimates reveal that changes to the winter fuel payment could push an additional 50,000 pensioners into relative poverty next year. The £300 payment will now be limited to pensioners eligible for pension credit, prompting the government to encourage pensioners to apply for it. However, estimates show that by 2028, up to 100,000 pensioners could be affected by this change. Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall stated that the estimates don’t factor in potential increased pension credit uptake. Opposition parties criticized the cuts, while Labour defended the changes, citing a planned increase in the state pension.