THE leader of the National Pensioners’ Convention (NPC) has written to Chancellor Rachel Reeves to ask her to reconsider her decision to end universal winter payments. 

Last month Ms Reeves announced that she would cut the payments after a snap audit revealed that the previous Tory government had left behind £22 billion of “unfunded commitments.”

Winter fuel payments of up to £300 to help towards heating bills were previously available to anyone above state pension age. But Ms Reeves said that now they will only be given to those who receive pension credit and means-tested benefits.