Alba Party welcome Winter Fuel Payment victory

ALBA Party have welcomed the Scottish Government’s decision to reinstate winter fuel payments for all Scottish pensioners. 

Alba Holyrood leader Ash Regan MSP has been in talks with Scottish Government Ministers over what she wants in exchange for helping the minority SNP Government pass its budget, and made the reinstatement of winter fuel payments a key ask. 

Chancellor Rachel Reeves dropped the axe on over 10 million pensioners who will lose upto £300 of Winter Fuel Payments this year. Close to one million pensioners in Scotland were also set to lose their winter support after the SNP Scottish Government - who have responsibility for the payment north of the border - decided to follow to the UK Government by means testing the payment. 

In a poll commissioned by Alba Party at the weekend two thirds of Scots said the Scottish Government was wrong to follow Westminster’s decision to means test the payments and they wanted to see universal entitlement reintroduced for every pensioner in Scotland. 

Alba Party have been campaigning to “Save the Winter Fuel Payment” since the end of summer. Former First Minister and Alba Party leader Alex Salmond was supporting a legal challenge against both the UK and Scottish Government’s decision to cut the payment before he died suddenly in Macedonia last month.

The SNP needs the support of others to get a majority on a budget vote. Ms Regan wanted the Scottish Government to step in to mitigate Westminster’s cut to winter fuel payments and fund universal provision of school meals for all primary school children. The Alba Party Holyrood leader says that she “welcomes the Scottish Government’s decision to reinstate the Winter Fuel Payment for Scotland’s pensioners - a key ask I made in order to support the budget and one that looks like will now be delivered.” 

Alba Party believe that with Regan’s support the Scottish Government would be a step closer to passing the budget as it would then only need some abstentions for its budget to pass. 

Commenting Alba Party Holyrood leader Ash Regan MSP said: 

“Alba Party launched our campaign to save the winter fuel payment after the UK Labour Government’s appalling decision to balance public finances at the expense of pensioners, and the Scottish Government’s decision to follow suit after they stated they “had no choice” to do otherwise. 

“Politics is about choices and I offered the government solutions to focus on protecting Scotland's pensioners this winter and ensuring that every primary school child in Scotland can access healthy school lunches as previously promised. I welcome today’s announcement to answer Alba Party’s call to reinstate universal entitlement to winter fuel payments - it is a positive step from the Scottish Government towards securing my backing of their budget.”