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EXPANDING ELIGIBILITY TO THOSE ON HOUSING BENEFIT (AND/OR DISABILITY BENEFITS) WOULD INCREASE THE NUMBERS RECEIVING WINTER FUEL PAYMENT 08:26, 01 Jun 2025 The Winter Fuel Payment's
future has been thrown into doubt as the Institute for Fiscal Studies suggests the Labour Party government could scrap it. In a report following Sir Keir Starmer's u-turn over the £200
payments, the IFS explained: "If the government wants to expand WFP eligibility – without returning to the old universal system – there are no particularly easy answers to increase
eligibility substantially. "Expanding eligibility to those on housing benefit (and/or disability benefits) would increase the numbers receiving winter fuel payment but still leave the
vast majority of pensioners ineligible. READ MORE LLOYDS BANK BRINGS IN BIG CHANGE AND ANYONE WHO IS IN A 'COUPLE' WILL BENEFIT "Going further would either involve creating a
new means-test or basing eligibility on other characteristics of the household. It is fair to say that all of these are imperfect solutions – they do not expand eligibility much, or are not
closely targeted towards poorer households, or impose large administrative or fiscal costs. Article continues below "In light of this, it is worth stepping back and asking what role the
government wants WFP to play. One option would be not to have WFP at all. While it is labelled as being about fuel, it is ultimately just a cash payment (though some evidence suggests the
labelling does increase fuel consumption). "Insofar as the goal is to help people on low incomes, a more straightforward option is to increase PC; if the goal is to increase pensioners’
incomes more generally, one could simply raise the state pension generosity (though this would imply redistribution from singles to couples, and the government might rather avoid that).
"Perhaps before it tries to tweak eligibility awkwardly, the government should consider what question WFP is the answer to." Article continues below Chancellor Rachel Reeves is
likely to reverse the axing of the winter fuel payment for many older people after months of damaging outcry against the policy. A government spokesperson said: “The energy shocks of recent
years have shown the need to go further and faster to upgrade British homes, making them warmer and more efficient, while bringing down bills. "Up to 300,000 households will benefit
from upgrades through our warm homes plan this year, rolling out measures like insulation, double glazing, solar and heat pumps.”