Chancellor George Osborne has scrapped extra winter fuel payments worth up to an extra £100 for pensioners, as part of yesterday's Budget.
This will reduce annual payments for people over 80 from £400 to £300 per household, and cut the benefit from £250 to £200 for those aged 65-79, reports The Daily Telegraph.
The extra payments were brought in by Labour in 2008 and were renewed in subsequent years.
Michelle Mitchell, the charity director of Age UK, said: "We appreciate that the winter fuel payment has been retained in the face of huge financial pressures, but with energy prices continuing to escalate, many older people will find it strange that they will receive less this winter than last."
Here's our other Budget coverage from yesterday:-
Budget pledge to cut red tape facing social care enterprises
Budget: Osborne scraps councils' final salary pensions
Budget boosts Big Society but no let up in cuts
Mileage rate boost for domiciliary care workers
This will reduce annual payments for people over 80 from £400 to £300 per household, and cut the benefit from £250 to £200 for those aged 65-79, reports The Daily Telegraph.
The extra payments were brought in by Labour in 2008 and were renewed in subsequent years.
Michelle Mitchell, the charity director of Age UK, said: "We appreciate that the winter fuel payment has been retained in the face of huge financial pressures, but with energy prices continuing to escalate, many older people will find it strange that they will receive less this winter than last."
Here's our other Budget coverage from yesterday:-
Budget pledge to cut red tape facing social care enterprises
Budget: Osborne scraps councils' final salary pensions
Budget boosts Big Society but no let up in cuts
Mileage rate boost for domiciliary care workers
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