The Winter Fuel Allowance has tapdanced back onto the political landscape today, and
it’s all thanks to some insightful work by the FT’s Alex Barker. He had an article in this morning’s pink ‘un which
suggested that IDS is lobbying to have it, and and some other “middle-class benefits”, trimmed to help pay for his benefit reforms. And he’s followed that up with a blog-post
explaining how even an apparent “cut” in the allowance may not result in savings for the Treasury or the DWP. Strange but true, as they say.
This could be a delicate situation for the coalition. In the background to it all is David Cameron’s pre-election pledge that the Tories wouldn’t cut Winter Fuel Allowance. And then there’s the wording of the coalition agreement, which says: “We will protect key benefits for older people such as the winter fuel allowance, free TV licences, free bus travel, and free eye tests and prescriptions.”
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