Are you worried about Winter Fuel Payments being cut? Take our poll and have your say

As winter approaches, concerns are mounting across the UK over the controversial cuts to Winter Fuel Payments - a vital source of support for many older residents.

With energy prices remaining high and the cost of living crisis deepening, the prospect of reduced financial help has left many feeling anxious about how they will manage to keep warm when the really turns.

The scheme, which provides help to those aged 66 and over, has been a crucial lifeline for millions, particularly those on fixed incomes. And, as winter approaches, it's no wonder so many are upset about such help being taken away when it's perhaps needed the most.

Only this morning, Martin Lewis accused the government of 'taking money out of the hands' of pensioners in a .

The MoneySavingExpert.com founder over the decision to axe for more than ten million pensioners. The payments, which are worth up to £300, depending on your circumstances, used to be available to anyone over state pension age - but now, you must be claiming certain means-tested benefits, such as Pension Credit, to continue receiving this cash.

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said: "You have to accept there will be many hundreds of thousands of the poorest pensioners under £11,400 income you will not reach this year. You are taking money out of their hands." Defending the Government's decision, which it claims is needed to fill a £22billion financial black hole left by the Tories, Ms Nandy said: "I couldn't care more and neither could the Chancellor and we are doing everything we can with the Work and Pensions Secretary to deal with this enormous black hole and this appalling economic inheritance."

As temperatures drop, the urgency of this issue is only expected to grow. And to make matters worse, the new Ofgem energy price cap means the average household is looking at an increase of nearly £150 on their bills - just as the chilly, rainy autumn sets in. And this won’t be the last time the UK regulator changes the maximum rates this year, with another adjustment expected in late November.

This month saw the energy price cap jump by £149, moving from £1,568 to £1,717 for those paying by direct debit. Keep in mind, this is just the cap; your actual bill will depend on how much energy you use.

This surge in energy prices began back in 2021 during the pandemic, and then Russia's invasion of sent costs soaring - at one point, we were looking at a cap that could have reached around £4,000 per household.

Thankfully, the government stepped in with the 'Energy Price Guarantee' which helped keep household costs down until summer 2023. Still, energy prices are unpredictable and will likely remain hundreds of pounds higher than they were in the last decade for a while.

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