New winter fuel payment for all Scottish pensioners

Winter substance payments are to beryllium reintroduced for each pensioners successful Scotland adjacent year, the Scottish authorities has announced.

The caller Holyrood payment volition not beryllium acceptable until precocious 2025, Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville told parliament.

She said that each pensioner successful the state would person the caller payment - with those successful receipt of qualifying benefits similar Pension Credit getting £200 oregon £300 depending connected their age, and wealthier pensioners getting £100.

The UK authorities scrapped cosmopolitan entitlement to wintertime substance payments - which are acceptable astatine either £200 oregon £300 - earlier this year, with lone those connected Pension Credit oregon different benefits eligible.

The Scottish government, which was expected to present a replacement cosmopolitan payment northbound of the borderline successful April, said Labour’s determination meant it had nary prime but to propulsion its plans backmost until precocious 2025.

The alteration means an estimated 900,000 pensioners successful Scotland are losing retired connected the outgo this winter.

Somerville besides announced an other £20m successful payment backing for councils successful this fiscal year, arsenic good arsenic an further £20m for the Warmer Homes Scotland Scheme.

There volition besides beryllium £1m for societal landlords and the 3rd assemblage for homelessness prevention work.

She said: "This Scottish authorities is determined to enactment existent to our values.

"We volition not wantonness older radical this wintertime oregon so immoderate wintertime and we volition proceed to support our pensioners from the harsh world of a UK Labour government."

This breaking quality communicative is being updated and much details volition beryllium published shortly. Please refresh the leafage for the fullest version.

You tin person Breaking News connected a smartphone oregon tablet via the BBC News App. You tin besides travel @BBCBreaking connected X to get the latest alerts.