Social Fund Winter Fuel Payment Regulations 2024

That this House expresses its concern that The Social Fund Winter Fuel Payment Regulations 2024 are being introduced without prior consultation or an impact assessment, nor with sufficient time to put in place a proper and effective take-up campaign for Pension Credit; notes this approach fails to take account for those people with modest incomes that are just above the entitlement threshold for Pension Credit; further notes the worrying annual excess winter death figures among pensioners; recognises the impact a sharp rise in the energy price cap of 10% from 1 October will have on pensioners which will not be helped by introducing a bureaucratic and unpopular means test which undermines the benefits of universalism when older people have higher energy costs due to comorbidities and poor housing insulation; further recognises that colder homes make older people more susceptible to poor health, including hyperthermia, respiratory and circulatory disease; and calls on the Government to postpone the ending of Winter Fuel Payments and establish a comprehensive strategy to tackle fuel poverty, health inequality and low incomes among older people.