Communities Minister welcomes u-turn on winter fuel payment restrictions

Northern Ireland’s Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has welcomed a major policy reversal by the UK government which reinstates broader eligibility for the Winter Fuel Payment, benefiting pensioners earning £35,000 a year or less.

The move comes after months of strong opposition from the Northern Ireland Executive and follows confirmation by HM Treasury that the revised funding for England and Wales will be extended to Northern Ireland.

“My opposition to eligibility restrictions on the Winter Fuel Payment (WFP) has been absolute, an opposition that I have consistently made known to Labour government ministers,” said Minister Lyons.

He added: “I also wrote to the Prime Minister, along with my Executive colleagues, outlining our total opposition to the changes and calling on him to reinstate a universal Winter Fuel Payment that protects all pensioners.”

The previous changes to Winter Fuel Payment criteria, introduced in July 2024, limited eligibility to pensioners on Pension Credit and other means-tested benefits. This caused widespread concern among older residents across the UK, including thousands in Northern Ireland.

In response to the initial changes, Lyons secured £17 million in Executive funding to provide a one-off £100 payment to affected local pensioners last winter.

“Following the decision to change Winter Fuel Payments criteria last year, I was able to secure £17 million of Executive funding to make a one-off £100 payment to local pensioners affected by the decision,” he said.

With the UK government now reversing its position, Lyons confirmed that discussions are underway to align Northern Ireland with the updated arrangements.

“My officials are engaging with colleagues in the Department for Work and Pensions to understand how the changes to the Winter Fuel Payment announced today will be implemented, to ensure Northern Ireland is ready to follow suit,” the Minister explained.

He also confirmed he would be working closely with Executive colleagues to guarantee pensioners in Northern Ireland receive equivalent support to their counterparts across the rest of the UK.

“I welcome the u-turn announced today and I will be engaging with Executive colleagues to ensure similar support is provided in Northern Ireland.”

The announcement will come as welcome news to many older people struggling with energy costs amid continuing cost-of-living pressures, and is likely to ease financial anxiety ahead of the coming winter months.