Thu, 03 Jul 2025

Thu, 03 Jul 2025 Over 288,000 NI pensioners could get fuel payment - Lyons

It comes after the government performed a U-turn on its controversial policy.

* 86% of pensioners in Northern Ireland will be eligible for winter fuel payment this year, up from around 80% across the UK as a whole.
* The policy change means that those with an income of £35,000 or below will receive the grant.
* A total of 288,000 pensioners are set to benefit from the change in Northern Ireland.
* The Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has said that his officials have assessed the impact of the policy change and believe it will mean more people receiving the payment in Northern Ireland than elsewhere in the UK.
* Lyons has criticized the Labour government's initial decision to scrap the universal payment as a cost-saving measure, saying it was "misguided" and would not save money for the government.
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