Pressure is building on Rachel Reeves to prevent some of the UK’s poorest pensioners being hit by restrictions on the winter fuel allowance. A plan to scrap the subsidy for all but those who claim pension credit, saving the exchequer £1.4bn, is under attack from opposition parties, trade unions and many inside Labour’s ranks.
So far, the chancellor has resisted calls to reinstate the allowance of up to £300 a year – or even to make more of an effort to ensure only the richest pensioners lose the payment, implying that she needs all the savings to help close a £22bn gap.
