Junior Treasury minister, Gareth Davies confirmed that Mr Hunt would not be touching the payments, worth up to £600 for some pensioners, in Wednesday’s autumn statement.
His comments came after Government minister John Glen was recorded saying the money could be better spent tackling child poverty.
Mr Glen, who was chief secretary to the Treasury at the time – the second most senior minister in the department after Mr Hunt – also questioned whether the triple lock which guarantees increases in the state pension was sustainable.
The minister, who became the Paymaster General in last week’s reshuffle, was speaking at a Cambridge University Conservatives event last month, The Telegraph reported.
In comments on October 26 obtained by the newspaper in a leaked recording, he said: “I think we also need to come to terms with the fact that the triple lock is very expensive and how sustainable is that going forward in terms of pensions and all the other benefits?
“Because my mother, she’s not very rich but she’s perfectly comfortable. She just texted me today aged 75 to say ‘I’ve just heard about my £500 winter fuel payment’ and I’m just like ‘you don’t need that’.
“But finding a mechanism to try and ration that (the winter fuel payment) is very difficult because our HMRC system will look at household incomes.
“These are the sorts of mechanics of government you’ve got to look at. Is it better if we spent more of that money on child poverty? It probably is. But these are the sorts of things I think we need to look at.”
The Treasury ruled out a change to the winter fuel allowance in the autumn statement, with a spokesman saying: “This is not something we are going to do.”
And Exchequer Secretary Mr Davies told Sky News: “We are not going to be touching the winter fuel allowance.”
Pressed on whether he was ruling out means testing the benefit, the MP replied: “We have no plans to change the winter fuel allowance.
“But we have a strong record of supporting pensioners so we will always stand by our pensioners to ensure they have a dignified retirement and security in retirement.”
Am I eligible for a Winter Fuel Payment?
You can get a Winter Fuel Payment if you were born before September 25, 1957.
You will usually need to live in the UK, though some circumstances may mean you are eligible if you live abroad.
You will not be eligible if any of the following apply to you:
- have been in hospital getting free treatment for more than a year
- need permission to enter the UK and your granted leave says that you cannot claim public funds
- were in prison for the whole of the week of 18 to 24 September 2023
And those living in care homes will be eligible unless both of the following apply:
- you get Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) or income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- you lived in a care home for the whole time from 26 June to 24 September 2023
How much is the Winter Fuel Payment?
Government guidance states: “You’ll get a letter in October or November telling you how much Winter Fuel Payment you’ll get, if you’re eligible.
“If you do not get a letter but think you are eligible, check if you need to make a claim.
“The amount you get is based on when you were born and your circumstances between 18 to 24 September 2023. This is called the ‘qualifying week’.”
This is how much you could be paid depending on your circumstances.
I live alone or with no one else eligible for Winter Fuel Payment
- £500 if you were born between 25 September 1943 and 24 September 1957
- £600 if you were born before 25 September 1943
I live with someone else eligible for Winter Fuel Payment
If you receive Pension Credit, JSA, ESA or Income Support, you will get:
- £500 if both of you were born between 25 September 1943 and 24 September 1957
- £600 if one or both of you were born before 25 September 1943
If you receive none of the above benefits you will receive:
- £250 if you and the person you live with were both born between 25 September 1943 and 24 September 1957
- £250 if you were born between 25 September 1943 and 24 September 1957 but the person you live with was born before 25 September 1943
- £350 if you were born before 25 September 1943 but the person you live with was born between 25 September 1943 and 24 September 1957
- £300 if you and the person you live with were both born before 25 September 1943
I live in a care home
- £250 if you were born between 25 September 1943 and 24 September 1957
- £300 if you were born before 25 September 1943
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