Gordon Lyons requires full reinstatement | EUROtoday

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has known as for the complete reinstatement of the winter gasoline fee and mentioned a rise on these eligible “would not go far enough”.

In a U-turn following mounting political stress in latest weeks, the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer introduced plans to ease cuts to winter gasoline funds.

Around 250,000 individuals right here missed out on the winter gasoline fee final yr after Northern Ireland adopted a Westminster determination to make the funds means-tested.

On Wednesday, Lyons welcomed the federal government’s realisation that an “error” was made and urged for the return of the “universal winter fuel payment that protects all pensioners”.

Speaking to BBC News NI, Lyons mentioned he is aware of “how difficult it is to administer benefits. I know how difficult it is to means test benefits as well”.

He mentioned it might “save everybody a lot of time, a lot of hassle, and take a lot of worry off old people who have been concerned over what they have gone through over the last year… the best and simplest way to do this is to reinstate this in full”.

He additional urged the Labour Government to not “make the same mistake twice”.

Last yr, an additional £17m was discovered following a Stormont monitoring spherical and Lyons secured this cash to grant a £100 one-off fee to help pensioners who had been affected by cuts to winter gasoline help.

Winter Fuel Payments had been created in 1997 to assist everybody above state pension age with their winter heating payments.

The Chancellor Rachel Reeves introduced final yr that winter 2024 would be the first time pensioners in England and Wales won’t be eligible for the fee.

Northern Ireland was compelled to comply with go well with.

Payments had been then restricted to these on advantages and pension credit score.

This resulted in 180,00 NI households dropping out on the fee.