As we head into the cold winter months, many of my constituents will be worried about how to keep themselves warm. With an ongoing cost of living crisis and rising bills, many residents across West Scotland will be forced to choose between heating or eating as Labour and the SNP have cut universal pensioner winter fuel allowance.

I am very disappointed that both the Labour UK Government and the SNP Scottish Government have chosen to stop providing winter fuel payments to all pensioners, with no attempt to make any sort of impact assessment. They have also failed to provide any alternative means of support for those who are now ineligible for the current winter fuel payment but may still need extra funding to make ends meet.

New eligibility rules for the winter fuel payment were introduced by Labour Chancellor Rachel Reeves in July 2024, which restricted the payment solely to pensioners who are eligible for Pension Credit, Universal Credit and other forms of income support.

The previous Conservative Government opted to keep universal winter fuel payments in place, as this extra support allowed pensioners to prioritise spending for food and other necessities. This also helped to reduce deaths and hospitalisations caused by Britain’s dangerously cold winters.

Throughout the recent general election campaign, Labour insisted that pensioners would benefit from reduced heating costs under their watch. Without even reaching their first six months in office, the UK Government have now left many vulnerable pensioners out in the cold.

I am also shocked that, instead of fighting for Scottish pensioners, the SNP Scottish Government have chosen to follow Labour’s lead. Full responsibility for the winter fuel payment is set to be transferred to the Scottish Government at the end of next year. It is planned to be replaced by the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment, a once-a-year payment ranging from £100 to £300. SNP Ministers had previously said the benefit would not be means tested, with entitlement being based solely on reaching state pension age.

The Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Finance even admitted that the Scottish Government could fund universal winter fuel payments with its existing access to funding. However, they have opted to pass the costs onto Scottish pensioners, claiming that they have had no choice in the matter.

This is an essential benefit and people who have worked their whole lives deserve to be able to heat their homes in winter. With 90,000 Scottish pensioners now losing out on winter fuel payments, it is abundantly clear that only Conservative MPs and MSPs are committed to protecting pensioners over the winter months.

My Scottish Conservative colleagues and I will continue to scrutinise the Scottish Government over this decision and stand up for Scottish pensioners. They do not deserve to see their fuel payments cut this winter because of the SNP’s inept mismanagement of Scotland’s economy. I will also urge the UK Labour Government to keep its promises to society’s most vulnerable and reverse these damaging cuts for all UK pensioners.