£100 payment to help pensioners with winter fuel cuts

Pensioners successful Northern Ireland affected by cuts to wintertime substance enactment are to get a one-off £100 outgo from Stormont, Gordon Lyons has said.

In August, the UK Government said wintertime substance payments would beryllium means tested and lone spell to pensioners connected definite benefits.

The communities curate criticised the authorities for taking the decision, but said Northern Ireland would person to travel suit.

Last week, Lyons said £17m had been recovered successful Stormont's latest monitoring circular to let him to assistance households affected by the cut.

It is estimated astir 249,000 pensioners successful Northern Ireland were going to beryllium affected by cuts to wintertime substance payments this year.

On Tuesday, the communities curate told the Northern Ireland Assembly helium wanted to guarantee that each pensioner has enactment to "stay lukewarm and safe" during the winter.

He said that the inaugural of a one-off £100 outgo was based connected options explored aft the further backing was provided to his section past week.

"I judge this inaugural reflects my committedness to fairness, compassion, and work towards our older population," helium added.

"My officials are present moving astatine gait to hole and bring guardant the indispensable authorities and to finalise arrangements.

"The outgo volition beryllium made earlier the extremity of March 2025, nevertheless I americium moving intimately with officials to present this arsenic soon arsenic possible."

The curate said determination volition beryllium nary exertion process, arsenic the section volition automatically place eligible individuals done existing records.

"This attack volition guarantee a creaseless and businesslike organisation of payments, without the further load of exertion forms oregon reddish tape," helium said.

Lyons said helium disagreed with the UK Government's determination to alteration however wintertime substance enactment works and that helium would proceed to marque the lawsuit for its afloat reinstatement.

Under the changes, astir 57,000 pensioners successful Northern Ireland volition proceed to person wintertime substance payments, with an estimated outgo of £10.5m.

To suffice for the outgo of up to £300, pensioners indispensable person pension recognition oregon different means-tested benefits.

Lyons told the assembly that from August to October this year, 3,026 applications for pension recognition had been received by his section - representing a emergence of astir 56% from the aforesaid clip past year.

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