ANAS SARWAR, leader of the Scottish Labour Party, took everyone by surprise — at least everyone outside his inner circle — when he announced last week that should Labour win the 2026 election in Scotland, all pensioners would receive a payment of the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment which will be paid by Social Security Scotland.

This is due to replace the current winter fuel benefit currently administered by DWP in 2025-26. The new benefit being proposed by Sarwar, however, would be “tapered” so that the wealthiest households received less.

Rachel Reeves had, of course, used the Budget to announce that the new Labour government would end winter fuel payments at the British level for most pensioners, with only those receiving means-tested benefits entitled to receive it from now on.