Government did not assess winter fuel cut impact - Starmer

The authorities did not transportation retired an interaction appraisal connected cutting wintertime substance enactment for millions of pensioners successful England and Wales, the premier curate has said.

Sir Keir Starmer said helium had not been shown immoderate investigation privately astir the imaginable consequences of his determination to instrumentality distant the outgo from older radical who bash not person pension credit.

His comments came aft the Conservatives called for immoderate interaction appraisal to beryllium published.

Sir Keir said: “There isn’t a study connected my table which someway we’re not showing.”

Speaking to reporters during a formation to the US, the premier curate added: “I cognize you deliberation there’s a study connected my table but determination isn’t one."

He said it was not legally indispensable for an authoritative appraisal of the program to beryllium done successful advance.

Speaking earlier, a Downing Street spokesperson had said: “There are wide rules connected this that we followed carefully."

No 10 pointed to the information the mechanics the authorities chose to marque this change, known arsenic a statutory instrument, lone requires an interaction appraisal if the outgo of the authorities is greater than £10m – which it is not successful this case.

At Prime Minister's Question Time connected Wednesday, Conservative person Rishi Sunak demanded the authorities people its interaction appraisal of the measurement and accused Sir Keir of "hiding" the analysis.

Speaking connected Thursday, Sir Keir said the determination to region wintertime substance payments, worthy up to £300 a year, from millions of pensioners was indispensable to stabilise the economy, and that the authorities was putting "mitigations" successful place.

“The interaction volition beryllium mitigated by pension credit, by the lodging benefit,” the premier curate continued.

The authorities has encouraged pensioners to cheque if they suffice for pension recognition – and if so, to use for it, arsenic this would mean they would support getting the wintertime substance outgo too.

Analysis by the House of Commons Library says that 10.8 cardinal pensioners successful England and Wales received the wintertime substance outgo past winter. This coming winter, 1.5 cardinal volition person the payment.