As he backs Labour’s partial reversal on means-testing the benefit, Gordon Brown suggests that top earners could be subject to different measures. The former prime minister introduced the scheme in 1997 as a universal payment for pensioners.
Brown welcomed Keir Starmer’s move to ease restrictions on who can receive the payment. He said the economic situation has improved and it’s now fairer to support more pensioners during the cost of living crisis. Gordon Brown suggests top earners are still facing scrutiny in these discussions.
“You must be fair to the different communities in your country when they’re struggling,” Brown said. “And you’ve got to be fair to pensioners.”
However, Brown suggested that the UK’s wealthiest pensioners—those on the top rate of income tax—should be excluded from receiving winter fuel payments. “I think there is a case for people on the top rate of tax not receiving it,” he added.
Brown stressed that decisions about exact eligibility thresholds would fall to the current government. Yet he noted that Gordon Brown suggests top earners have been considered in Labour’s past manifestos, including in 2015.
Starmer confirmed during Prime Minister’s Questions that the government would “look” at making more pensioners eligible. He acknowledged that many older citizens still feel pressure from high energy prices and economic uncertainty.
“As the economy improves, we want to make sure people feel those improvements,” Starmer told MPs. “That is why we want to ensure more pensioners are eligible for winter fuel payment.”
Currently, pensioners must have incomes below £11,500 to qualify. While a full reversal of the policy remains unlikely, the Treasury is expected to raise that threshold.
Brown reiterated the need for a “fairness guarantee.” He said no pensioner who has contributed to the country or continues to work should be pushed into poverty. “If we can avoid it, we must.”
The winter fuel allowance has become a politically sensitive issue since Labour’s original decision to restrict access. After public backlash and poor by-election results, Starmer has been under pressure to rethink the policy.
Gordon Brown’s comments add weight to the argument for a more balanced approach—one that offers support where it’s truly needed, while ensuring public resources are used fairly. Gordon Brown suggests top earners should also play a role in this balanced approach.
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