Labour accused of 'hiding' how many will be impacted by new DWP rule

The new Labour Party government has come under fire after tweaking the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) assessment criteria.

Labour has been accused of "hiding" how many pensioners will be impacted by the decision to scrap £300 Winter Fuel Payments. The new Labour Party government has come under fire after tweaking the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) assessment criteria.

Labour has been accused of concealing the 'terrible impact' of scrapping the £300 payouts The government was accused of concealing the “terrible impact”, with the former Conservative Party government branding it a “shocking revelation”.

Laura Trott, Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said: “It’s disgraceful the Treasury has a hidden analysis they are refusing to publish, which will show the terrible impact.” She added: “Once again, this is more damning analysis that the Labour government did everything they could to hide from the public and parliamentt — but they cannot hide from the consequences.”

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Wes Streeting said: “I can understand why there will be some pensioners sat there thinking, ‘Why us? And what about others?’. Well, there are other choices to come and these aren’t just Rachel Reeves’ choices to face up to.”

And he told the New Statesman: “I think people mistake honesty for gloominess. We’re conscious of the fact trust in politicians is at rock bottom.” It comes after the DWP quietly released a document on Friday night which predicted that about 780,000 pensioners whose low incomes mean they are eligible for the payment will stop getting it when it becomes means-tested.

The newly released government assessment, published in response to a freedom of information request, revealed that 880,000 pensioners who are entitled to pension credit do not claim this benefit. It predicted that only about 10% of them will have taken up the credit when the changes kick in.

That means 780,000 pensioners on low incomes will miss out on the winter fuel payments they are eligible for and currently receive.