Doubts over winter fuel payments

After scraping our way through a particularly cold and icy winter, and with heavy fuel bills putting a freeze on our finances as a result, it seems a good time to speak about special heating payments to pensioners.

Fears have been raised that the Scottish Government is dragging its feet so much over new powers to administer special winter fuel payments in Scotland that 80,000 pensioners could miss out later this year.

The claims have been rebuffed by the Scottish Government, but a cloud of suspicion is always generated by that noxious mix of somewhat vague political motivation and government red tape.

Therefore, it is only right that Scottish ministers are held to account in the months ahead – until the payments actually start dropping through letter boxes.

According to some critics, an SNP pledge to switch powers from Westminster to Holyrood so that fuel payments of up to £300 could be made early to households in rural areas, particulary those who are not connected to gas, has become bogged down. The fiercest critics claim the Scottish Government not only missed this last winter, but could also miss the next.

Meanwhile, a government spokeswoman said no exact timescale was given for a switch. So, which winter was it supposed to be?

“Critics claim the Scottish Government not only missed this last winter, but could also miss the next ”