Scottish Labour has called on the SNP Government to reverse its decision to cut the fuel insecurity fund, as reported by the Daily Record. Anas Sarwar, the leader of Scottish Labour, urged ministers to collaborate with his party to assist those most at risk during the upcoming winter months. The UK Government’s choice to extend the household support fund in England is expected to result in approximately £41 million additional funding for the Scottish Parliament. This amount could be used to reinstate the fuel insecurity fund, which received no allocation in this year’s budget but provided vital support to vulnerable households last winter, costing £30 million.
Scottish Labour highlighted that reviving the fund could mean around 200,000 low-income pensioner households receiving an extra £200 each throughout the colder season, benefiting a significant portion of pensioner households in need. The recent announcements from both the UK and Scottish governments concerning limitations on winter fuel payments, except for the poorest pensioners, might affect roughly 10 million pensioners in England and Wales, along with about 900,000 in Scotland who could lose entitlement to this support.
The Scottish Government explained its necessity to cut the benefit after experiencing a funding loss of up to £160 million from Westminster. In response, Labour unveiled a winter support package for struggling families and called on SNP ministers to endorse their proposals. These include providing payments to low-income pensioners not currently receiving Pension Credit, offering targeted grants and energy vouchers to those facing extreme hardship, and launching a campaign to promote the uptake of Pension Credit among eligible individuals.
Charities have expressed concerns that many pensioners are unaware of their entitlement to benefits, potentially resulting in the loss of their winter fuel payment. Sarwar criticised the SNP’s decision to terminate the payment but expressed willingness to cooperate with ministers to provide assistance to pensioners in need. He emphasised Scottish Labour’s readiness to collaborate with the Scottish Government to implement these support measures and extend a lifeline to thousands of Scots during the challenging winter period.
The Scottish Government has been requested to provide a comment on this issue.